OKLAHOMA CITY – Temple senior Jaiquawn Jarrett (Queens, N.Y.) is one of 35 of the nation’s best defensive backs named to the 2010 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List.
The Thorpe Award is one of college football's most sought after and prestigious awards. It is named after history's greatest all-around athlete, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also was an awesome defensive back. Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as "The Legend," Thorpe also played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon.
The Jim Thorpe Award watch list is determined by analysis of the pre-season All-American teams listed in at least six pre-season college football annual magazines. Four points are awarded for first team, three points for second team, two points for third and one point for honorable mentions. This procedure determines approximately 30-40 players on the pre-season watch list. This list is not final, and players who have outstanding seasons are added as the season progresses.
A screening committee of Jim Thorpe Association members follows these players throughout the season, watching games and researching information sources to grade Thorpe Award candidates on the basis of performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The committee meets on the first Monday in November to narrow the field to 10 or 12 semi-finalists.
The committee meets again on the Monday before Thanksgiving to select the three finalists. The names of these finalists are submitted to a national panel of about 50 sports writers, sportscasters, coaches and former players who vote to determine the winner. The three finalists are invited to the ESPN College Football Awards Show, and the winner is announced during the show.
Formal presentation of the Jim Thorpe Award takes place at ceremonies in Oklahoma City on the first Tuesday in February following the national signing date for college football recruits.
Jarrett is a 2010 CDS preseason Honorable Mention All-American as well as a 2010 preseason All-MAC honoree by Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook and by Phil Steele’s College Football. He was the recipient of the 2010 National Football Foundation &?College Football?Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Award and of the Athletic Dept.’s 2010 Enterprise Spirit and Sportsmanship Award. Last fall the first-team All-MAC honoree started all 13 games at free safety. He was one of just nine players to start every game and has played in every game of his collegiate career. Jarrett finished the 2009 season second in tackles with 76, including 46 solos, and also had seven break-ups, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.
Temple juniors Adrian Robinson (Harrisburg, Pa.) and Muhammad Wilkerson (Linden, N.J.) were named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy Watch Lists, respectively, in June, while sophomore Bernard Pierce (Ardmore, Pa.) is a candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
Temple opens the 2010 season on Friday, Sept. 3 with Villanova at 5 p.m. in the second annual Mayor’s Cup at Lincoln Financial Field.
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