LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. (FWAA) LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was named the winner of the 62nd Outland Trophy on Thursday night, three days after collecting the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the best defensive player in the country.
The winner of the Outland Trophy, which goes to the best interior lineman on offense or defense in college football, was announced during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show from The Walt Disney World Resort.
Dorsey became the second player to sweep the Bronko Nagurski and Outland Awards, joining Arizona defensive tackle Rob Waldrop in 1993. Dorsey also won the Rotary Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman.
Dorsey won the award over Kansas offensive tackle Anthony Collins and Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, the other two Outland Trophy finalists.
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selects the Nagurski and Outland winners from its 25-man All-America team which will be announced on Saturday on ABC Television.
Dorsey anchored LSU's defense despite knee, lower back and hamstring injuries suffered during the 2007 season. He has registered 11.5 tackles for 48 yards in losses for the twice-beaten Tigers and made 64 total tackles, 34 unassisted. The 6-2, 299-pound senior has broken up three passes and been a major disruptive force for a defense which held lead the Tigers to the BCS title game against Ohio State.
"Yes, it is an honor to see they realize what I put into the game," Dorsey said after being presented with the Outland Trophy. "I am excited about this break to get healed up. I've just been relaxing. You know I'm going to be ready to go (against Ohio State)."
"He's a kid on the field you better design a way to block him," LSU coach Les Miles said. "As a person, he is humble and hard-working. He enjoys his hometown; he's the pied piper. The entire town (of Gonzales, La.) follows him around."
LSU's defense ranks third in total defense (283.85 yards allowed per game), ninth in pass defense (180.77) and 14th in rushing defense (103.1).
The Outland Trophy, which has been awarded annually by the FWAA since 1946, is named after the late John Outland, a lineman at Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. The Outland Trophy is the third oldest award in major college football behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.
The official 2007 award presentation will be Jan. 10, 2008, in Omaha, Neb., at a banquet sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee. Oklahoma's Lee Roy Selmon, the 1975 Outland Trophy winner, will also receive his trophy there.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of nearly 1,000 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.
For more information on the Outland Trophy, go to the official website, www.outlandtrophy.com, or contact FWAA executive director Steve Richardson (972-713-6198 or tiger@fwaa.com).