November 12, 2007

Defensive end Chris Long is one of eight semifinalists for the Lott Trophy, given to the best defensive player in college football. The award is based on performance on and off the field, and is the only award that is based on personal character.

Long certainly has the on-field performance to back up his nomination. Long is second on the Cavaliers with 69 tackles, and has an ACC leading 12 sacks on the season. He has 17 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hurries as well. The senior defensive end is a two time ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week.

The other semifinalists are Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason, Colorado linebacker Jordon Dizon, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis, Illinois linebacker J Leman and Kentucky linebacker Wesley Woodyard.

Long sports an impressive list of award possibilities. He is one of four finalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, given to the nation's top lineman. He is also a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, given to the most outstanding Defensive Player of the Year.

Long and his Virginia teammates have the weekend off, before taking on Virginia Tech for the Coastal Division Title at Scott Stadium next Saturday.