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University of Minnesota Athletics
Matt Spaeth Named To Lombardi Award Watch List
5/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Spaeth is one of 43 preliminary candidates selected to the list and one of four players from the Big Ten Conference. He joins Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas and Penn State offensive lineman Levi Brown and linebacker Paul Posluszny. Posluszny was a finalist for the award last season, while Thomas was a semifinalist in 2005.
Spaeth, a native of St. Michael, Minn., was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media in 2005, in addition to being an academic All-Big Ten selection. He received the team’s Neil Fredenburg Award for courage and love for the game and was one of only four Gophers to participate in at least 1,000 plays during the 2005 season.
Spaeth has 62 receptions for 729 yards and eight touchdowns in his career and finished the 2005 campaign by setting season-highs with 26 receptions and 333 yards receiving. His four touchdown catches last season equaled his output in 2004. He was also part of an offensive line last year that helped the Gophers finish third nationally and first in the Big Ten in rushing with an average of 273.1 yards per game. It was the second-highest average in school history and the seventh-best average in Big Ten history. He also helped lead the Gophers to an average of 494.8 yards of total offense per game in 2005, which ranked seventh in the nation, was the highest average in school history and ranked third all-time in Big Ten history.
The Lombardi Award will be presented on Dec. 6 at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston, Texas.
