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Four MWC Football Players Represent League on 2008 Nagurski Trophy Watch List
May 19, 2008 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Four Mountain West Conference student-athletes are among the individuals competing for the coveted 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, presented annually to the best defensive player in college football and sponsored by the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Jan Jorgensen (BYU) , DeAndre Wright (New Mexico), Jason Phillips (TCU) and Stephen Hodge (TCU) were named to the 2008 watch list, which currently is comprised of 70 college football players. In 2007, Jorgensen led the Conference and ranked 12th nationally with 20 tackles for a combined loss of 115 yards. The native of Helper, Utah also led the MWC with 14 sacks in his sophomore campaign, combining for a loss of 91 yards. For his efforts, Jorgensen was named to the all-Mountain West first team. Wright, a Clinton, Md. product, has started in 26 consecutive games for the Lobos. The first team all-MWC cornerback has recorded 19 pass break-ups and seven interceptions since moving from safety in 2006. Wright led the 13th-ranked Lobo defense with 12 passes defended in 2007, including a team-high three interceptions for a career-high 67 return yards. Phillips, a three-time all-league selection, has started all 38 games in the previous three seasons. The senior linebacker from Waller, Texas has made 231 career tackles, which include a team-best 87 stops in the 2007 season. Hodge, who hails from Tatum, Texas, made eight sacks in 2007 to lead the nation for defensive backs. The 2007 second-team all-MWC selection was second among his teammates with 10.5 tackles for loss and seven pass break-ups. The FWAA All-America Committee selects the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner from the association's 11-man All-America defensive team in November. The watch list was developed by the FWAA All-America committee with the help of the schools and conferences.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been presented since 1993 and is awarded in memory of the legendary Nagurski, a former All-America lineman at Minnesota in 1927-29 and a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s.
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