Aug. 2, 2012
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech senior Orwin Smith, who has produced more than 3,000 career all-purpose yards, was named Thursday to the preseason watch list for the Paul Hornung Award.
The Hornung Award, now in its third season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend Paul Hornung.
The qualifications for the award seem ideal for Smith, the fourth-year senior A-back from Phenix City, Ala. Smith has rushed for 1,157 career yards, he ranks among Tech’s all-time prolific kick returners with 1,357 yards and he has more than 500 yards receiving. With 3,041 yards, Smith has an opportunity this season to become just the fifth player in Yellow Jacket history to accumulate more than 4,000 career all-purpose yards.
Smith demonstrated his versatility last season when he became the first player in the history of Georgia Tech football to produce 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game when he had 157 rushing yards and 108 receiving yards against Kansas. On Tech’s first play of the game against the Jayhawks, Smith rushed for a school-record 95-yard touchdown.
Smith was earlier named to the preseason watch for the Doak Walker Award. Four other Yellow Jackets – Jeremiah Attaochu (Lombardi Award), Izaan Cross (Ted Hendricks Award), Jay Finch (Rimington Trophy) and Omoregie Uzzi (Outland Trophy) – are on preseason watch lists for national awards.
The 2012 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of 2011 statistics, career performance and expectations heading into the 2012 season. Profiles of each player and information about the Award can be found on www.paulhornungaward.com.
The Watch List is comprised of 25 seniors, 16 juniors and eight sophomores, representing 44 universities and 10 conferences that are part of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
2012 Watch List Selections
Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin
Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
Keenan Allen, California
Tavon Austin, West Virginia
Kenjon Barner, Oregon
Jonathan Banks, Mississippi State
D.J. Beshears, Kansas
Matt Brown, Temple
Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State
Trey Burton, Florida
Adrian Bushell, Louisville
Jesse Callier, Washington
Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest
Brandon Carter, TCU
Tommy Davis, Illinois
Quandre Diggs, Texas
Jerry “BooBoo” Gates, Bowling Green
Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State
Jordan Hall, Ohio State
Dustin Harris, Texas A&M
Terry Hawthorne, Illinois
Dennis Johnson, Arkansas
Chandler Jones, San Jose State
Perry Jones, Virginia
Tracy Lampley, Southern Mississippi
Marqise Lee, Southern California
Josh Lenz, Iowa State
Venric Marks, Northwestern
Onterio McCaleb, Auburn
Qunicy McDuffe, Central Florida
Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
Jamal Miles, Arizona State
T.J. Moe, Missouri
Ty Montgomery, Stanford
Warren Norman, Vanderbilt
Jordan Poyer, Oregon State
Theo Riddick, Notre Dame
Nickell Robey, Southern California
Ace Sanders, South Carolina
Jeff Scott, Mississippi
Branden Smith, Georgia
Orwin Smith, Georgia Tech
Darryl Surgent, Louisiana-Lafayette
De’Anthony Thomas, Oregon
Justin Veltung, Idaho
Sammy Watkins, Clemson
Trey Watts, Tulsa
Kerwynn Williams, Utah State
Robert Woods, Southern California
