SMU’s Thompson Earns Pre-Season Honor
Chicago (SMU) – SMU’s Taylor Thompson is one of 35 pre-season candidates for the 2011 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award, the Ted Hendricks Foundation announced today.
Thompson, a native of Prosper, Texas, started in all 14 games last season and was named All-Conference USA First Team. An anchor in SMU’s 3-4 defense, he posted 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks and three QB hurries on the season. He is one of just four Conference USA players on the list. He has previously been tabbed pre-season All-C-USA and was named to the Nagurski and Lombardi Award Watch Lists
Now in its tenth season, the Ted Hendricks Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time first-team All-American. It is in the spirit of Ted Hendricks’ aggressive style of play, winning attitude and determination that the Defensive End of the Year Award for college football’s premier defensive end is presented.
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.
This year’s pre-season candidates include the following players:
Frank Alexander – Oklahoma
Jake Bequette – Arkansas
Broderick Binns – Iowa
Andre Branch – Clemson
Vince Browne – Northwestern
Quinton Coples – North Carolina
Jack Crawford – Penn State
Izaan Cross – Georgia Tech
Vinny Curry – Marshall
Cory Dorris – Tulsa
Brandon Harold – Kansas State
Wes Horton – USC
Bruce Irvin – West Virginia
Brandon Jenkins – Florida State
Cam Johnson – Virginia
Ethan Johnson – Notre Dame
Datone Jones – UCLA
Mario Kurn – San Diego
Cordarro Law – Southern Miss
Kapron Lewis-Moore – Notre Dame
Brandon Lindsey – Pittsburgh
Stansly Maponga – TCU
Jonathan Massaquoi – Troy
Shea Mcclellin – Boise State
Cameron Meredith – Nebraska
Alex Okafor – Texas
Donte Paige-Moss – North Carolina
Nick Perry – USC
Jacquies Smith – Missouri
Devin Taylor – South Carolina
Taylor Thompson – SMU
Deangelo Tyson – Georgia
Ryan Van Bergen – Michigan
Olivier Vernon – Miami
Nathan Williams – Ohio
The 2011 winner will be announced on December 7.
This continues a string of Mustangs on pre-season award Watch Lists. So far, Kyle Padron was named to
the O’Brien Award Watch List, Kelvin Beachum, Ja’Gared Davis, Taylor Reed and Thompson have been named to the Official Watch List for the 2011 Rotary Lombardi Award, Beachum has been named to the Outland List, Thompson has made the Nagurski Award List, Cole Beasley and Darius Johnson were named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, Line was named to the Watch List for the Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards, Thompson And Margus Hunt were selected to the Pony Express Award Watch List and Blake McJunkin was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List.
The Mustangs enter 2011 on the heels of consecutive bowl berths and Conference USA Western Division Championships and preseason honors and accolades are piling up. Athlon Sports picks SMU to finish first in Conference USA’s Western Division and named nine Mustangs to its preseason All-C-USA squads.
To join the stampede and purchase season tickets, please call 214-768-4263 (SMU-GAME).
