Richardson Named to Lombardi Award Watch List

March 27, 2007

Clemson, SC — Clemson starting offensive tackle Barry Richardson is one of 43 players named to the preseason Watch List for the 2007 Rotary Lombardi Award. The 38th annual award raises funds for the American Cancer Society and will be presented at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston on December 5, 2007.

The Rotary Lombardi Award is presented to the top lineman, offensive or defensive who lines up within five yards of the line of scrimmage. A committee of over 500 former Lombardi Award winners, current Division I coaches and media, will vote on the award this fall. A list of 12 semifinalists will be announced in late October, followed by four finalists in November. A Clemson player has never won the award, but William Perry was a finalist in 1984.

Richardson is one of four ACC players on the Watch List. The others are Calais Campbell of Miami (FL), Vince Hall of Virginia Tech and Steve Justice of Wake Forest.

Richardson, 6-7, 325-pound a senior from Mount Pleasant, SC, helped the Tigers to a number-five national ranking in rushing last year. Clemson led the ACC in rushing offense, scoring offense and total offense last year, the first time Clemson led the ACC in all three categories since 1991. He started every game last year and now has started each of the last 32 Clemson games. He had 75 knockdown blocks last year to rank second on the Clemson team and he allowed just two sacks.