STORRS, Conn. – UConn senior Lindsey Witten (Cleveland, Ohio) has been named one of 30 preseason candidates for the 2009 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award. Now in its eighth season, the Ted Hendricks Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time first team All-American.
Witten has played in 36 career games over the past three years for the Huskies with 81 career tackles, 10.5 career sacks and 16.5 career tackles for a loss. He also has a career interception and seven pass break-ups. He played in 11 games in 2008 for the Huskies with two starts and had five sacks.
The award is named after former University of Miami defensive end Ted Hendricks. 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.
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 as well as any four-year NCAA accredited school. The candidate’s primary position must be defensive end.
Full list of players after the jump.
Previous recipients of the Hendricks Award include: Terrell Suggs (Arizona State), David Pollack (Georgia), Elvis Dumervil (Louisville), LaMarr Woodley (Michigan), Chris Long (Virginia) and Brian Orakpo (Texas). This year’s preseason candidates include, but are not limited to the following players:
- Rahim Alem, LSU
- Trevor Anderson,Michigan State
- Jeremy Beal,Oklahoma
- Alex Carrington, Arkansas State
- Antonio Coleman, Auburn
- Jermaine Cunningham, Florida
- Dexter Davis, Arizona State
- Auston English, Oklahoma
- Brandon Graham, Michigan
- Greg Hardy, Ole Miss
- Jerry Hughes, TCU
- Jan Jorgensen, BYU
- Sergio Kindle, Texas
- Jammie Kirlew, Indiana
- Brandon Lang, Troy
- Eric Lorig, Stanford
- Koa Misi, Utah
- Greg Middleton, Indiana
- Dontay Moch, Nevada
- Eric Moncur, Miami
- Doug Pilcher, Illinois
- James Ruffin, Northern Iowa
- George Selvie, South Florida
- Will Tukuafu, Oregon
- Lawrence Wilson, Ohio State
- CJ Wilson, East Carolina
- Lindsey Witten, Connecticut
- Corey Wootton, Northwestern
- Willie Young, N.C. State
- Frank Zombo, Central Mich.
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