June 27, 2005
DALLAS – University of New Mexico senior cornerback Gabriel Fulbright has been selected to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List for the 2005 season the Football Writers Association of America announced this morning. Fulbright is one of 50 standout players from around the country that have been nominated for consideration in the preseason.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the best defensive player in college football, has been a staple of the FWAA’s awards since 1993. It is sponsored by the Charlotte Touchdown Club, which has held the annual awards banquet since 1995. The 2005 banquet is set for Monday, Dec. 5, at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, where five finalists will vie for the prize. Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson won the 2004 Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
The FWAA All-America Committee selects the Bronko Nagurski winner from the association’s 11-man All-America defensive team in late November. Players may be added from the Bronko Nagurski Watch List during the course of the 2005 season.
A two-time all-Mountain West Conference honoree, Fulbright enters his final season with nine interceptions and 13 pass break-ups in his UNM career. In 2004, he and former All-America teammate Brandon Payne were the premier cornerback tandem in the MWC, combining to notch 11 interceptions and 24 break-ups for the league’s second ranked pass efficiency defense.
Fulbright is one of four Mountain West Conference players named to the Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list, joining Utah defensive lineman Steve Fifita, BYU linebacker Cameron Jensen and Wyoming cornerback Derrick Martin.
New Mexico hosts conference rival UNLV in its ESPN2 televised 2005 season-opener at 11 a.m. (MST) on Labor Day, Sept. 5. Season tickets for all five home games are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.golobos.com or by calling the UNM ticket office at 925-5626. Individual game tickets will go on sale on Aug. 24.
2005 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Muhammad Abdullah, DB, Kentucky
Rufus Alexander, LB, Oklahoma
Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee
Jon Alston, LB, Stanford
Dan Bazuin, DE, Central Michigan
Darnell Bing, DB, USC
Larry Birdine, DE, Oklahoma
H. B. Blades, LB, Pittsburgh
Trent Bray, LB, Oregon State
Ahmad Brooks, LB, Virginia
Jeremy Chase, DE, Navy
Bernard Davis, LB, Troy
Will Derting, LB, Washington State
Ray Edwards, DE, Purdue
John Eubanks, DB, Southern Miss
Steve Fifita, DL, Utah
Gabriel Fulbright, DB, New Mexico
Charles Gordon, DB, Kansas
Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
Korey Hall, LB, Boise State
Roman Harper, DB, Alabama
Spencer Havner, LB, UCLA
A. J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State
Abdul Hodge, LB, Iowa
Thomas Howard, LB, UTEP
Michael Huff, DB, Texas
D,Qwell Jackson, LB, Maryland
Cameron Jensen, LB, BYU
Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College
LaRon Landry, DB, LSU
Jesse Mahelona, DT, Tennessee
Derrick Martin, DB, Wyoming
Larry McSwain, DE, UAB
Quentin Moses, DE, Georgia
Terna Nande, LB, Miami (Ohio)
Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon
Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State
Josh Powell, DB, San Jose State
DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama
Ko Simpson, DB, South Carolina
Ernie Sims, LB, Florida State
Darryl Tapp, DE, Virginia Tech
Dhyan Tarver, DB, Army
Gabe Watson, DT, Michigan
Jimmy Williams, DB, Virginia Tech
Travis Williams, LB, Auburn
Kyle Williams, DT, LSU
Mario Williams, DE, N.C. State
Rodrique Wright, DT, Texas
Alan Zemaitis, DB, Penn State
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 900 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.