Aug. 9, 2011
CHICAGO — Georgia Tech junior Izaan Cross is one of 35 players on preseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, which goes annually to the nation’s top college defensive end.
The announcement from the Ted Hendricks Foundation came Tuesday afternoon.
Cross started all 13 games last season in Georgia Tech’s first season in the 3-4 scheme. He produced 41 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and four pass break-ups. Cross and senior Jason Peters give the Yellow Jackets solid bookend defensive ends.
A native of Flowery Branch (Ga.), Cross played as a true freshman in 2009.
Now in its 10th season, the Ted Hendricks Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time first-team All-American. As a defensive end at the University of Miami, Ted used his agility, height and reach to block passes and kicks, force interceptions and pressure quarterbacks and running backs. He roamed the front line, read plays and blitzed on impulse, completely transforming the way the defensive end position was played. His professional career spanned 15 years and 215 consecutive games. It included four Super Bowl victories, eight Pro Bowl selections and inductions into the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. It is in the spirit of Ted Hendricks’ aggressive style of play, winning attitude and determination that the Defensive End of the Year Award for college football’s premier defensive end is presented.
On-field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities, contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the Award’s winner. Members of the national media, head coaches, professional scouts and former winners are included in the Award’s voting committee. Candidates may represent any class (Freshman through Senior) as well as any four-year NCAA accredited school. The candidate’s primary position must be Defensive End.
Previous recipients of the Hendricks Award include: 2002 – Terrell Suggs (Arizona State), 2003-04 – David Pollack (Georgia), 2005 – Elvis Dumervil (Louisville), 2006 – LaMarr Woodley (Michigan), 2007 – Chris Long (Virginia), 2008 – Brian Orakpo (Texas), 2009 – Jerry Hughes (TCU) and 2010 – Da’Quan Bowers (Clemson).
This year’s pre-season candidates include, but are not limited to, the following players:
FRANK ALEXANDER OKLAHOMA
CORDARRO LAW SOUTHERN MISS
JAKE BEQUETTE ARKANSAS
KAPRON LEWIS-MOORE NOTRE DAME
BRODERICK BINNS IOWA
BRANDON LINDSEY PITTSBURGH
ANDRE BRANCH CLEMSON
STANSLY MAPONGA TCU
VINCE BROWNE NORTHWESTERN
JONATHAN MASSAQUOI TROY
QUINTON COPLES NORTH CAROLINA
SHEA McCLELLIN BOISE STATE
JACK CRAWFORD PENN STATE
CAMERON MEREDITH NEBRASKA
Izaan Cross GEORGIA TECH
ALEX OKAFOR TEXAS
VINNY CURRY MARSHALL
DONTE PAIGE-MOSS NORTH CAROLINA
CORY DORRIS TULSA
NICK PERRY USC
BRANDON HAROLD KANSAS STATE
JACQUIES SMITH MISSOURI
WES HORTON USC
DEVIN TAYLOR SOUTH CAROLINA
BRUCE IRVIN WEST VIRGINIA
TAYLOR THOMPSON SMU
BRANDON JENKINS FLORIDA STATE
DeANGELO TYSON GEORGIA
CAM JOHNSON VIRGINIA
RYAN VAN BERGEN MICHIGAN
ETHAN JOHNSON NOTRE DAME
OLIVIER VERNON MIAMI
DATONE JONES UCLA
NATHAN WILLIAMS OHIO STATE
MARIO KURN SAN DIEGO
