BCS Rankings Have Huge Hornung Award Presence

By Robert Sampson, Paul Hornung Award

LOUISVILLE, KY (Nov. 10, 2010) - The top nine teams in the latest Bowl Championship Series rankings have a total of 13 players that are either on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List or have been named as one of the Paul Hornung's Most Versatile Performances of the Week during the 2010 season.

The Paul Hornung Award Watch List was released in August with finalists to be announced in early December. The weekly selections highlight performances each week in college football that display the same versatility on the field as the legendary Paul Hornung.

BCS RANKINGS - HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST & HONOREES

1. Oregon

Kenjon Barner (Watch List, Two Weekly Honors)

2. Auburn

Demond Washington (Watch List, One Weekly Honor)

3. TCU

Jeremy Kerley (Watch List, Three Weekly Honors)

4. Boise State

Doug Martin (Watch List)

Titus Young (One Weekly Honor)

Austin Pettis (One Weekly Honor)

5. LSU

Patrick Peterson (One Weekly Honor)

6. Stanford

Owen Marecic (Watch List, Three Weekly Honors)

Chris Owusu (Watch List, One Weekly Honor)

7. Wisconsin

David Gilreath (Watch List, One Weekly Honor)

8. Nebraska

Niles Paul (Watch List, One Weekly Honor)

9. Ohio State

DeVier Posey (Watch List)

Terrell Pryor (Watch List, One Weekly Honor)

25 Players Featured in Head-to-Head Hornung Award Matchups: 25 players, including each of this week's honorees in the "Paul Hornung's Most Versatile Performances of the Week" are among those playing against fellow Hornung Award watch list members.

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Kenjon Barner (Oregon) vs. Shane Vereen (California) at 7:30 pm ET

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Leon Berry (Mississippi State) vs. Trent Richardson (Alabama) at 7:15 pm ET on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Brandon Boykin (Georgia) vs. Demond Washington (Auburn) at 3:30 pm ET on CBS

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Tyron Carrier (Houston) vs. Damaris Johnson (Tulsa) at 8:00 pm ET

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke (Kentucky) vs. Warren Norman [currently injured] (Vanderbilt) at 12:21 pm ET on SEC Network and ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Graig Cooper (Miami) vs. Josh Nesbitt and Jerrard Tarrant (Georgia Tech) at noon ET on ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Tandon Doss (Indiana) vs. David Gilreath (Wisconsin) at noon on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina) vs. Chris Rainey and Jeffery Demps (Florida) at 7:15 pm ET on ESPN and ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: T.Y. Hilton (Florida International) vs. Jerrel Jernigan (Troy) at 3:30 pm ET on ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) vs. Devon Wylie [currently injured] (Fresno State) at 10:30 pm on ESPN and ESPN3.com

· Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010: Dyrell Roberts (Virginia Tech) vs. Da'Norris Searcy (North Carolina) at 3:30 pm ET on ABC and ESPN3.com

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.