Chris Hope Named to Jim Thorpe Award Watch List :: The senior safety is one of four players from the state of Florida named to the preseason watch list.

July 31, 2001

Florida State senior free safety Chris Hope is one of 11 players named to the 2001 Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list. The Thorpe Award is given annually by the Jim Thorpe Association of Oklahoma City to college football's top defensive back.

Hope, a native of Rock Hill, SC, has started the last two national championship games for the Seminoles. Hope was a first team academic All-American and a second team All-ACC selection as a junior in 2000. He ranked fourth on the team and led all FSU defensive backs with 83 tackles (51 solo) last year. Hope has been named to several preseason All-America teams this summer.

Other defensive backs named to the Thorpe Award preseason watch list include: Rashad Bauman of Oregon, Pig Prather of Mississippi State, Roy Williams and Derrick Strait of Oklahoma, Lito Sheppard of Florida, Quentin Jammer of Texas, Mike Doss of Ohio State, Edward Reed and Mike Rumph of Miami and Dennis Weathersby of Oregon State.

Three finalists will be announced on November 19. They will be invited to ESPN's College Football Awards Show at Disney World in Orlando, where the winner will be announced on December 6.