SEMI-FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Rotary Lombardi Award reveals list of semi-finalists for 2021

Rotary Lombardi Award reveals list of semi-finalists for 2021
The Rotary Lombardi Award has announced its list of semi-finalists for 2021. Photo by Wiki Commons.

The Rotary Lombardi Award annually goes to the college football offensive or defensive lineman, who in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi.
This year's list of 12 semi-finalists features a variety of standout players from across the country.

Alabama OLB Will Anderson

Alabama MLB Christian Harris

Alabama OL Evan Neal

BYU C James Empey

Florida State DE Jermaine Johnson

Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum

Iowa State LB Mike Rose

Kentucky OT Darian Kinnard

Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson

Ohio State OL Thayer Munford

Penn State DT PJ Mustipher

Texas A&M OL Kenyon Green

The SEC features five semi-finalists with the Big Ten having four representatives on the list. The list of twelve semi-finalists will be pared down to four finalists to be revealed on November 9th. BYU, Iowa, Iowa State, and Kentucky would have their first winner, while a win by Ohio State's Thayer Munford would mark the seventh Buckeye to win.

The award ceremony will be held on December 8th in Houston and will feature the four finalists, their coaches, as well as the 1987 winner of the award, Chris Spielman. Honorary Chair and Famed Green Bay Packer Jerry Kramer will preside over the event. Past winners include Ndamukong Suh, Julius Peppers, Terrell Suggs, Aaron Donald, and two-time winner Orlando Pace.
Net proceeds from the Award's activities are contributed to Cancer Research and specifically the American Cancer Society's programs.

For additional information, visit www.rotarylombardiaward.org.

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Houston needs a series win in the worst way. Composite Getty Image.

Takeaways from the Tigers sweep of the Astros

Total butt kicking. The offense was dreadful, scoring just two runs over three games. However, what’s killing the offense the most is the outfield. Outside of when Altuve plays left field, Houston doesn’t have another major league-quality outfielder right now. Jesus Sanchez not only swung at a Charlie Morton curveball that hit him in the knee, he’s also ice-cold, going 0-for-28 at the plate. At least he’s someone you expect to turn things around, but he’s in a huge slump currently. Beyond him, Jacob Melton, Taylor Trammell, and Chas McCormick have all been dragging down the offense. Cam Smith is struggling too, with just one hit in his last seven games.

Is Framber Valdez going to be okay?

Starting pitching was another big issue against the Tigers, and Valdez was a key part of the problem, basically losing the finale in the first inning after allowing six runs. This isn’t an outlier—he’s got a 7+ ERA through four starts in August. Spencer Arrighetti isn’t faring much better, posting a 7+ ERA through three starts. One silver lining with Valdez: the Tigers know him well. They had success against him in the playoffs last season, and it looks like they’re continuing that formula—force him to throw strikes, hit the other way on the sinker, and if the curveball isn’t up, let it go. AJ Hinch knows the deal.

Is the return of Yordan Alvarez enough to boost the offense?

It has to be. The only real way to give this lineup a spark is getting Yordan and Jake Meyers back. Yordan had a successful first rehab outing, collecting a couple of hits, a walk, and even a stolen base. Adding him back to the top of the lineup gives the Astros a formidable top four: Peña, Altuve, Yordan, and Correa. As for Meyers, the outfield has been the biggest drag on the offense. The key is whether he can continue to hit near .300 when he returns from injury. If he does, Altuve and Meyers in the outfield makes a huge difference, and Joe Espada can figure out right field with Sanchez and Smith.

Is the schedule not as soft as anticipated?

We’ve seen some strange results across the league this week, and some of that has to be chalked up to the Dog Days of Summer. Players are tired, and results have been wild. Thankfully, the Mariners are struggling too, giving the Astros some breathing room. Player adjustments after the trade deadline could also be a factor—Sanchez, anyone? Many big free agents have struggled immediately after changing teams, Walker and Juan Soto included.

Can they recover and take advantage of bad teams?

One thing we know about this year’s Astros: they can flip the switch and win multiple series on a moment’s notice. They’re just as capable of sweeping a series as they are of getting swept. Let’s hope that starts with four wins in Baltimore.

There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode on Thursday!

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