Earlier this week the Charlotte Touchdown Club announced the initial watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award, given to honor the nation’s top defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America.

Penn State linebackers Navorro Bowman and Sean Lee and defensive tackle Jared Odrick were named on the watch list. No Penn State player has won the award since its inception in 1993.

Brian Orakpo, defensive end form Texas, won the award last season.

In addition, those same three Penn State defenders, who were each named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list as well, have been named to the watch list for the Lombardi Award. The Lombardi Award is given to the top lineman, on offense or defense, or linebacker in the nation by the Houston Rotary Club in Houston.

Only one time has a Nittany Lion been honored with the award. All-American defensive lineman Bruce Clark was the first junior to win the Lombardi Award, doing so in 1978. Clark went on to have an interesting professional football career. After being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 1980 NFL draft Clark opted to play in the Canadian Football League. After playing two seasons for the Toronto Argonauts Clark went on to play for the Barcelona Dragons of the World League of American Football where his leadership carried the team. Clark lead the Dragons in sacks and started all ten games. Between stints on the international football stage Clark played a combined eight seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Last year’s recipient of the Lombardi Award was Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo.

Pre season accolades continue to pour in for quarterback Daryll Clark as well. Clark was named to the 2009 Manning Award watch list, as compiled by the AllState Sugar Bowl committee, who sponsors the award. The Manning Award is the only college quarterback award that takes bowl game performances into account.

The Manning Award was first awarded in 2004 (Matt Leinart of USC) and no Penn State quarterback has won the award yet. Florida’s Tim Tebow won the Manning Award in last season and looks to become the first player to win multiple Manning Awards in its brief history.