The Lombardi Award
Phil Steele is proud to be on the voting 
committee for this award
2015 ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD CANDIDATES
OL Ramadan Ahmeti, Central Michigan DT Tylor Harris, Wake Forest LB Montese Overton, East Carolina
LB Dominique Alexander, Oklahoma G Marcus Henry, Boise State DE Denzell Perine, FIU
G Vadal Alexander, LSU LB Nick Holt, Western Kentucky G Caleb Peterson, North Carolina
C Jack Allen Michigan, State C Alex Huettel, Bowling Green LB Joseph Peterson, Georgia State
LB T.T. Barber, Middle Tennessee OL Matt Hugenberg, Army DT Davion Pierson, TCU
DL Alex Barrett, San Diego State LB DJ Hunter, Marshall LB Manoa Pikula, BYU
OL Willie Beavers, Western Michigan LB Great Ibe, Eastern Michigan G Greg Pyke, Georgia
OT Adrian Bellard, Texas State LB Myles Jack, UCLA OT Mykheal Quave, Louisiana
OL Caleb Benenoch, UCLA LB Jordan Jenkins, Georgia LB Reggie Ragland, Alabama
G Dalton Bennett, Troy G Darius Johnson, Middle Tennessee DE Sheldon Rankins, Louisville
LB Vince Biegel, Wisconsin DT Gerrand Johnson, ULM OL Andrew Reue, Rice
LB Zeek Bigger, East Carolina OT Tyler Johnstone, Oregon DE Tyler Roberts, Troy
DT Andrew Billings, Baylor DT Jarron Jones, Notre Dame DT A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama
OL Adam Bisnpwaty, Pittsburgh DE Bronson Kaufusi, BYU LB Jovan Santos-Knox, Massachusetts
DE Ronald Blair, Appalachian State DT Kingsley Keke, Texas A&M C Joseph Scelfo, South Alabama
DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State C Ryan Kelly, Alabama LB Joe Schmidt, Notre Dame
G J.T. Boyd, East Carolina C Kaydon Kirby, North Texas DE Ian Seau, Nevada
LB Jatavis Brown, Akron LB Hunter Kissenger, ULM DL Blake Serpa, Central Michigan
DE DeForest Buckner, Oregon OL Tejan Koroma, BYU C Isaac Seumalo, Oregon State
LB James Burgess, Louisville OL James Kristof, Western Michigan LB Ryan Simmons, Oklahoma State
DT Vernon Butler, Louisiana Tech LB Nick Kwiatkoski, West Virginia C Matt Skura, Duke
DE Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State DE Royce LaFrance, Tulane OL Pearce Slater, San Diego State
LB Brandon Chubb, Wake Forest OL Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky LB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
DT Kenny Clark, UCLA C Taylor Lasecki, SMU LB Terrence Smith, Florida State
OT Le'Raven Clark, Texas Tech LB Darron Lee, Ohio State OT Garrett Stafford, Tulsa
OL Ben Clarke, Hawaii DE Dadi Lhomme-Nicolas, Virginia Tech OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
DT Trevon Coley, Florida Atlantic LB Steve Longa, Rutgers LB Graham Stewart, Connecticut
OT Jack Conklin, Michigan State LB Alex Lyons, Rice DE Chris Stone, Arkansas State
DE Kamalei Correa, Boise State C Nick Martin, Notre Dame LB Eric Striker, Oklahoma
DT Sheldon Day, Notre Dame LB Blake Martinez, Stanford LB Christian Tago, San Jose State
OT Taylor Decker, Ohio State DL Praise Martin-Oguike, Temple G Chris Taylor, Tulane
DE Hunter Dimick, Utah LB Tyler Matakevich, Temple LB Jeremy Timpf, Army
OT Spencer Drango, Baylor LB Boomer Mays, Northern Illinois LB Dominique Tovell, Louisiana
G Parker Ehinger, Cincinnati LB Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn C Max Tuerk, USC
DE Ken Ekanem, Virginia Tech LB Marc Millan, Idaho OT Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss
G Pat Elflein, Ohio State LB Mason Monheim, Illinois G Landon Turner, North Carolina
G Steve Elmer, Notre Dame OL Alfredo Morales, Texas Tech LB Tanner Vallejo, Boise State
LB Kyler Fackrell, Utah State LB Antonio Morrison, Florida OT Clint Van Horn, Marshall
G Dan Feeney, Indiana DE Silverberry Mouhon, Cincinnati DL Eddie Vanderdoes, UCLA
G Sedrick Flowers, Texas C Andrew Ness, Northern Illinois LB Nick Vigil, Utah State
LB Leonard Floyd, Georgia DE Thomas Niles, UCF DE Trent Voss, Toledo
G Isaiah Folasa-Lutui, New Mexico State DT Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss DE Michael Wakefield, FIU
C Kyle Fuller, Baylor LB Reggie Northrup, Florida State DT Adolphus Washington, Ohio State
G Joshua Garnett, Stanford DE Shawn Oakman, Baylor OT Toby Weathersby, LSU
DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M DE Pat O'Connor, Eastern Michigan LB Scooby Wright III, Arizona
DT Adam Gotsis, Georgia Tech OT Rees Odhiambo, Boise State DE Eddie Yarbrough, Wyoming
OL Darrell Greene, San Diego State DE Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State OT Avery Young, Auburn
OT Ike Harris, East Carolina DE Joe Ostman, Central Michigan DT Anthony Zettel, Penn State

2014 Rotary Lombardi Award Winner:
Scooby Wright, Arizona

The 2014 Finalists: 
Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson
Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
Hau’oli Kikaha, LB, Washington

About the Rotary Lombardi Award

The Rotary Lombardi Award is hosted by the Rotary Club of Houston and benefits the American Cancer Society. The Award was initiated by the Rotary Club in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi to cancer. Rotary Lombardi Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association.

The Rotary Lombardi Award goes annually to the college football lineman -- offense or defense -- who, in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi. As the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi first made a name for himself as the smallest but toughest member of Fordham University's "Seven Blocks of Granite," renowned in their day (1934-37) for being the most unyielding line in college football.

Appropriately, the trophy is a 40-pound block of granite atop a silver pedestal built over a foundation of discipline. The symbolic design was created by Houston Rotarian and professional artist, the late Mark Storm.

A distinguished committee of nearly 400 of America's most prominent college football coaches, football writers, sports broadcasters and previous Rotary Lombardi Award winners and finalists, participate in a three-tiered balloting process. Each year the selection committee selects twelve semifinalists, four finalists and the ultimate winner in balloting conducted by the accounting firm of KPMG Peat Marwick.

All four finalists, their head coaches and sports information directors are brought to Houston for two days of hospital visits , media interviews and local hospitality. The climax of the trip is the annual Rotary Lombardi Dinner, when a sellout crowd gathers to hear the announcement of the winner prior to its release to the national media.

Vince Lombardi

Just weeks after his death in 1970, the Rotary Club of Houston was authorized by Vince Lombardi's widow, Marie, to establish the Lombardi Award, an annual honor which not only recognizes the nation's best collegiate lineman but which also celebrates the memory of one of football's greatest coaches.

As stipulated by Mrs. Vince Lombardi, net proceeds from all Award Dinners and associated activities are contributed to the American Cancer Society to help fight the disease that claimed the life o Coach Lombardi. Since the award's inception in 1970, over $3,100,000 has been raised to help the American Cancer Society's program of cancer research, public education and direct services to cancer patients.

Vince Lombardi guided the Green Bay Packers to their first two Super Bowl titles, leading the Packers to six divisional championships and five NFL Championships in a coaching career that led to his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1971.

A fierce competitor on the field and a highly motivational man off the field, Lombardi first gained notoriety as one of the legendary "seven blocks of granite" while playing collegiately as a lineman at Fordham University in New York in the mid 1930's. He was a high school Latin and chemistry teacher before beginning a collegiate coaching career in his native New York.

He was named head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1959 at the age of 46 and immediately turned around the fortunes of the Pack, guiding the club from a 1-10-1 mark in 1958 to a 7-5 record in his first season.

After the second of his Super Bowl titles in 1967 , he stepped down from his coaching duties in 1968 and served as Packers general manager. Missing the fast pace of the NFL sidelines, Lombardi accepted a position as general manager and head coach of the Washington Redskins in 1969 and guided Washington to a 7-5-2 mark. Tragically, he was stricken with cancer during that 1969 season and succumbed at the age of 57 in 1970.

Today the legacy of Mr. Lombardi is carried on by his estate, which includes his son, Vince Lombardi as well as by the annual Rotary Lombardi Award.

Previous Lombardi Award Winners
1970 Jim Stillwagon Ohio State
1971 Walt Patulski Notre Dame
1972 Rich Glover Nebraska
1973 John Hicks Ohio State
1974 Randy White Maryland
1975 Lee Roy Selmon Oklahoma
1976 Wilson Whitley Houston
1977 Ross Browner Notre Dame
1978 Bruce Clark Penn State
1979 Brad Budde USC
1980 Hugh Green Pittsburgh
1981 Kenneth Sims Texas
1982 Dave Rimington Nebraska
1983 Dean Steinkuhler Nebraska
1984 Tony Degrate Texas
1985 Tony Casillas Oklahoma
1986 Cornelius Bennett Alabama
1987 Chris Spielman Ohio State
1988 Tracy Rocker Auburn
1989 Percy Snow Michigan State
1990 Chris Zorich Notre Dame
1991 Steve Emtman Washington
1992 Marvin Jones Florida State
1993 Aaron Taylor Notre Dame
1994 Warren Sapp Miami, FL
1995 Orlando Pace Ohio State
1996 Orlando Pace Ohio State
1997 Grant Wistrom Nebraska

1998 Dat Nguyen Texas A&M
1999 Corey Moore Virginia Tech
2000 Jamal Reynolds Florida State
2001 Julius Peppers North Carolina
2002 Terrell Suggs Arizona State
2003 Tommie Harris Oklahoma
2004 David Pollack Georgia
2005 A.J. Hawk Ohio State
2006 LaMarr Woodley Michigan
2007 Glenn Dorsey LSU
2008 Brian Orakpo, Texas
2009 Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2010 Nick Fairley, Auburn
2011 Luke Kuechly, Boston College
2012 Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
2013 Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh