The Jim Thorpe Award was first given out in 1986 to Baylor defensive back Thomas Everett. The award is given to the nation’s best defensive back. Past Thorpe Award winners include Bennie Blades, Deion Sanders, Charles Woodson, and Terrance Newman. Last year’s winner was Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round as the 14th pick. The following athletes are on this year’s Thorpe watchlist:
According to the Oklahoman, Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray left Friday’s practice with an apparent left hamstring injury. The 6’1, 214 lb. junior has had an astounding career as a Sooner, but it has been injury plagued. Murray missed 3 games in 2007 after dislocating his kneecap, and he also missed 3 games in 2008 after suffering an injury to his hamstring. He did not play in last year’s BCS Championship game against Florida. Before the injury last year he...
Darrell Givens, a star Maryland high school cornerback and Rutgers recruit, is still awaiting word from Rutgers officials about his admission to the New Jersey school. The issue delaying the admissions process is with Givens’s high school transcripts from Friendly (MD) HS. Givens had initially signed a letter of intent to play for Penn State earlier this year but the school withdrew its offer earlier this week, which was a surprise to him. Givens’s high school coach, Doug Lamb,...
The Colorado Buffaloes received some good news yesterday regarding JUCO transfer, Andre Simmons. Simmons, a wide receiver, was ruled academically ineligible and had been working this summer on completing classes at Independence Community College (KS) towards an associates degree. The series of events leading to Simmons’s reinstatement just confirm how serious Division 1 schools are about their football programs. Colorado’s fall practices opened yesterday giving Simmons and teachers at Independence Community College (ICC) little time to determine his grades for summer classes....
The Tennessee Vols opened practices yesterday with heightened intensity under first year coach Lane Kiffin. The Vols open the 2009 football season against Western Kentuckyon September 5th and Kiffin is making sure that his squad is well prepared for opening day. Yesterday’s practice was the usual standard procedure sans pads and contact but emotions and intensity ran high while Kiffin encouraged physicality on both sides of the ball. Kiffin has been a walking soundbite since arriving in Knoxville but he...
FSU WR Richard Goodman has been reinstated to the football team. Florida state’s attorney, John Fuchs, decided to drop aggravated battery charges against the redshirt senior after a two month long investigation. The charges stemmed from a November 12th fracas involving members of the FSU football team and members of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. During the fight, a female student was struck by a chair that was supposedly thrown by Goodman. He was arrested for the incident and suspended indefinitely, pending the outcome of the investigation. Fuchs claimed...
The AP is reporting that Ole Miss signee Jamar Hornsby is expected to appear in court this Friday where he will be indicted on felony aggravated assault and petit larceny charges. Hornsby was arrested in March of this year for beating up a man after a minor car accident. Hornsby beat the victim with brass knuckles, sending him to the hospital for required treatment. In addition the this incident, Hornsby is currently on probation after being convicted of credit card fraud in Gainesville, Florida. In 2007, Hornsby pleaded...
Michigan State running back Glenn Winston, who’s current home is the Ingham County Jail, is schedule to be released on August 13th. Conveniently, his release is only 3 days after MSU’s first preseason practice (on August 10th). He is currently serving a 180 day sentence for misdemeanor assault and battery convictions in connection with a fight last fall. Winston got in to a fist fight with A.J. Sturges, a MSU hockey player, causing severe head injuries which required hospitalization and rehab. ...
