PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Southeastern Louisiana defensive back
Tommy Connors was among a group of four players announced Tuesday as candidates for the 2009 Buck Buchanan Award watch list by the Sports Network.
Connors (Marrero, La./Archbishop Shaw HS) was joined on the watch list by three defensive ends - Christian Anthony of Grambling, Danny Batten of South Dakota State, and Dane Fletcher of Montana State.
The Buchanan Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) of college football, and was first given in 1995.
The trophy was named in honor of the late National Football League player Junious "Buck" Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State. Buchanan was an All-American defensive lineman and the first overall pick in the 1963 American Football League Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We’re so proud of Tommy and his family to get this honor,” Southeastern head coach Mike Lucas said. “He has worked so hard since coming to Southeastern and being named with some of the best defensive players at the FCS level is a very deserving honor. We’re looking for great things from Tommy this season.”
A three-time All-Southland Conference selection, Connors finished second in the league with a career-high 108 tackles while pacing the conference with four interceptions. He recorded 6.5 tackles for loss with four pass breakups and also blocked two kicks, recorded 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble.
Connors, a two-time member on the SLC All-Academic team, enters his final season fifth in school history with 251 tackles and has six career interceptions, 11 pass breakups and four forced fumbles. He posted a season-high 15-tackle performance last season against Central Arkansas and showed his promise as a freshman with 16 tackles against Stephen F. Austin.
A total of 20 candidates will be announced in alphabetical order prior to the start of the season, with four candidates being released each week. The watch list will be revised in October and again in November before the final ballot is announced.
Voting from a panel of FCS sports information directors, writers, broadcasters and other football experts will be conducted after the regular season ends. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 30 and will be invited to the 23rd annual Sports Network Awards banquet on Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, Tenn., the night before the NCAA Division I championship game. The Walter Payton Award and the Eddie Robinson Award will also be presented that night.
BUCHANAN WATCH LIST (first four of 20)
Christian Anthony, DE, Grambling
Danny Batten, DE, South Dakota State
Tommy Connors, DB, Southeastern Louisiana
Dane Fletcher, DE, Montana State