The votes have been collected and counted (and counted a second time, because I was a liberal arts major), and we are finally ready to announce the finalists for the 2015 Piesman Trophy, the country’s first award given to a lineman for a non-lineman feat.
Presenting the 2015 Piesman Trophy finalists
Our list of outstanding plays by college football linemen has been narrowed down to the top three.
In alphabetical order:
JACK ALLEN, MICHIGAN STATE
Jack Allen’s stiff arm touchdown run on Senior Day was the last touchdown Michigan State scored this season in Spartan Stadium - and it was the last play to make it within the window of eligibility for this year’s Piesman.
ASHTON HENDERSON, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Henderson’s 45 yard fumble return is one of the best examples this season of hustling like crazy to the ball. That’s 320 pounds of defensive lineman putting on the jets all the way to the end zone.
UFOMBA KAMALU, MIAMI
Credit for the touchdown on this play went to Miami lineback Jermaine Grace, but we all know Ufomba Kamalu gets the bulk of the credit for this defensive score. (Georgia Tech quarterback Matthew Jordan DEFINITELY knows after getting tossed to the ground like that.)
We’ll be inviting all three deserving finalists to the Piesman Trophy ceremony in New York City next Friday, December 11, when we’ll announce the winner.
Special thanks to our panel of voters, who gave all 63 candidates careful consideration. The voting was EXTREMELY close, but we’re confident they made the right decisions as a group.
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SB Nation presents: The Piesman Trophy, an award for amazing big dudes
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