Aug. 27, 2008

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland football players Dave Philistin and Edwin Williams have been added to the watch list for the 2008 Rotary Lombardi Award honoring college football's top lineman, the Rotary Club of Houston announced Tuesday.

The Terrapins' senior duo is among 113 players - 64 defensive and 49 offensive - receiving consideration for the award, which will be presented in Houston on Dec. 10. Philistin and Williams represent two of the eight Atlantic Coast Conference players currently comprising the watch list.

Philistin, a linebacker from Manchester, N.H., posted 124 stops last season and is the ACC's leading returning tackler. A consensus preseason All-ACC choice, Philistin previously has been named to the watch list for the 2008 Nagurski Trophy, which is awarded to the best defensive football player in college football.

Fellow senior Williams, a leader on the Terps' offensive line, is entering his third season as the team's starting center, having played in 36 consecutive games dating back to 2005. The preseason first-team All-ACC selection hails from Washington, D.C., and previously has been named to the watch list for the 2008 Rimington Trophy honoring the nation's top center.

NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision players who serve as down lineman on either side of the ball are eligible for the Lombardi Award, and the watch list will be updated throughout the 2008 season and ultimately pared to 12 semifinalists prior to a vote by the Rotary Lombardi Selection Committee.

The Lombardi Award, now in its 39th year, benefits the American Cancer Society.