39 Hornung Award Candidates Play for Teams that are Bowl Eligible

LOUISVILLE, KY (Nov. 17, 2010) - Thirty-nine players who are on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List are within reach of postseason play as their teams have reached the six win mark. In addition, nine of the Top 10 teams in the BCS rankings have candidates on the Watch List, suggesting that the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Discover Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and the BCS National Championship Game will feature many of the nation's most versatile players.

A pair of Hornung Award watch list members, Auburn's Demond Washington and South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore, will face off in the Southeastern Conference Championship game after both claimed their division titles over the weekend.

20 Players Featured in Head-to-Head Hornung Award Matchups: 20 players on the Paul Hornung Award watch list are featured in head-to-head matchups this week as positioning for postseason bowl births continues. Among this weeks notables matchups is Graig Cooper and Miami taking on Dyrell Roberts of Virginia Tech and Stanford's Owen Marecic and Chris Owusu facing Shane Vereen of California, who nearly helped the Bears to an upset of top ranked Oregon last week.

· Friday, Nov. 19, 2010: Doug Martin (Boise State) vs. Devon Wylie (Fresno State) at 9:30 pm ET on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010: Douglas Beaumont (Louisville) vs. Jock Sanders (West Virginia) at noon ET on ESPN3.com and the Big East Network

· Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010: Graig Cooper (Miami) vs. Dyrell Roberts (Virginia Tech) at 3:30 pm ET

· Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010: Dwight Dasher (Middle Tennessee) vs. Bobby Rainey (Western Kentucky) at 4:15 pm ET on ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010: Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina) vs. Jerrell Jernigan (Troy) at 12:21 pm ET on ESPN3.com and the SEC Network

· Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010: David Gilreath (Wisconsin) vs. Denard Robinson (Michigan) at noon on ESPN and ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010: Derrell Johnson-Koulianos (Iowa) vs. Terrelle Pryor and DeVier Posey (Ohio State) at 3:30 pm ET on ABC and ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010: Owen Marecic and Chris Owusu (Stanford) vs. Shane Vereen (California) at 3:30 pm ET

· Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010: Torrey Smith (Maryland) vs. Greg Reid (Florida State) at 8:00 pm ET on ABC

Follow Weekly Schedule on Twitter @hornungaward: Fans and media are encouraged to follow the official Twitter page of the Paul Hornung Award (@hornungaward) to get a weekly schedule of the games being played. Tweets are made between 30 and 60 minutes before kickoff, allowing fans a reminder of when games involving Paul Hornung Award candidates are being played.

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Paul Hornung Award

Created by the Louisville Sports Commission, the Paul Hornung Award is designed to recognize versatile, high-level performers in major college football and help preserve the legacy of one of Kentucky's best known athletes. A panel of experts will select the inaugural winner in early January 2011; the votes will be tabulated by Dean Dorton Allen Ford. The winner will be honored at the Paul Hornung Award Banquet presented by Jewish Hospital Sports Medicine January 25 at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville. Hornung is considered by many the best all-around player in the history of college and pro football. He won the 1956 Heisman Trophy at quarterback for Notre Dame and was the No. 1 pick in the 1957 NFL draft. He played every position in the backfield during his career with the Irish, where he also punted, kicked, returned kicks and played defensive back and was a multi-threat offensive back and prolific kicker in the pros. He was a member of four NFL championship teams as an all-pro halfback for the Green Bay Packers and led the NFL in scoring 1959-60-61, set the single season scoring record in 1960 with 176 points and was named League MVP following the 1961 season. Legendary Packers Coach Vince Lombardi called Hornung, "The most versatile man ever to play the game." Paul is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and resides in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. More information go to www.paulhornungaward.com.

Louisville Sports Commission

In the spirit of partnership with Paul Hornung, the Louisville Sports commission (LSC) will oversee and administer all aspects of the Paul Hornung Award including budget, selection process, marketing and PR, banquet, trophy, sponsorships, etc. An Advisory Committee co-chaired by LSC Chairman Steve Higdon and Executive Director Karl Schmitt and comprised of LSC Board leadership and local business leaders will provide guidance and insure integrity of the Award. The Louisville Sports Commission is a Louisville, Kentucky-based 501-c (3) organization committed to creating a legacy of economic and social vitality through sports. LSC attracts and hosts sporting events and activities that have a positive economic impact on the City, enhance the image of the Louisville area as a premier sports destination, promote healthy lifestyles and improve the quality of life for community members of all ages. More information on the LSC is available at www.louisvillesports.org and on our Facebook fan page.