Hernandez Named to Mackey Award Watch List
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 | Football
University of Florida junior tight end Aaron Hernandez (Bristol, Conn.) has been named to the 2009 John Mackey Award watch list, released Wednesday by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Given annually to the best collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee and the 2009 John Mackey winner will be announced on December 10, 2009.
Hernandez was also selected to the All-SEC preseason second-team by both the media and the leagues' coaches. Last season, Hernandez started 11 games and caught 34 passes for 381 yards. He ranked first in the SEC in touchdowns by a tight end with five and led the Gators in receiving against Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship with five catches for 57 yards.
NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.
The John Mackey Award has been presented every year since 2000, listing eight NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark ('01) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham ('02) of the Denver Broncos, Kellen Winslow II ('03) of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, two-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller ('04) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis ('05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Matt Spaeth ('06) of the of the 2008 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Fred Davis ('07) of the Washington Redskins and the 2008 John Mackey Award recipient Chase Coffman of the Cincinnati Bengals.
2009 JOHN MACKEY AWARD WATCH LIST
PLAYER, YR, SCHOOL
Jeffrey Anderson, JR, UAB
Jake Ballard, SR, Ohio State
Greg Boone, SR, Virginia Tech
Nate Byham, SR, Pittsburgh
Jeff Cottam, SR, Tennessee
Ed Dickson, SR, Oregon
Richard Dickson, SR, LSU
TC Drake, SR, Kentucky
Charlie Gantt, JR, Michigan State
Riar Geer, SR, Colorado
Garrett Graham, SR, Wisconsin
Jermaine Gresham, SR, Oklahoma
Rob Gronkowski, JR, Arizona
Aaron Hernandez, JR, Florida
Mike Hoomanawanui, SR, Illinois
Blaine Irby, JR, Texas
Jeron Mastrud, SR, Kansas State
Anthony McCoy, SR, USC
Mike McNeil, SR, Iowa
Tony Moeaki, JR, Nebraska
Ryan Moya, SR, UCLA
Logan Paulsen, SR, UCLA
Dennis Pitta, SR, BYU
Andrew Quarless, JR, Penn State
Kyle Rudolph, SR, Notre Dame
Weslye Saunders, JR, South Carolina
Cody Slate, JR, Marshall
Tommy Trott, SR, Auburn
DJ Williams, JR, Arkansas
Ben Wooster, SR, Wake Forest
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