Aug. 31, 2000

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State senior linebacker Brent Passey is listed as a candidate for the Bronko Nagurski Award which will be presented to America's best defensive college football player. Passey is one of 36 players on the preseason watch list.

On Dec. 4 at the Adam's Mark in Charlotte, the 2000 Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club, a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to raise scholarship money for area high school and college football players. Lou Holtz will be the keynote speaker this year (Bobby Bowden did the honors last year with Virginia Tech's Corey Moore winning the '99 Bronko Nagurski Trophy).

Passey, is a two-time first-team all-Big West selection and enters the 2000 season just 13 tackles shy of 10th place on USU's career tackle list. Last year the 6-1, 227-pound senior from Mesa, Ariz. led the Big West Conference in tackles per game at 12.9. He recorded 142 total tackles for the sixth most in a season in school history.

Player, School, Position

Dyshod Carter, Kansas State, Cornerback; Larry Casher, Auburn, Cornerback; Tay Cody, Florida State, Cornerback; Daninelle, Derricott Marshall, Cornerback; Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin, Cornerback; Fred Smoot, Mississippi State, Cornerback; Akin Ayodele, Purdue, Defensive End; Alex Brown, Florida, Defensive End; Patrick Chukwurah, Wyoming, Defensive End; John Favret, Wisconsin, Defensive End; DeJuan Goulde, Toledo, Defensive End; Justin Kurpeikis, Penn State, Defensive End; Julius Peppers, North Carolina, Defensive End; Aaron Schobel, TCU, Defensive End; Justin Smith, Missouri, Defensive End; Kenyon Coleman, UCLA, Defensive Tackle; Casey Hampton, Texas, Defensive Tackle; Chris Hoke, BYU, Defensive Tackle; Monsanto Pope, Virginia, Defensive Tackle; Richard Seymour, Georgia, Defensive Tackle; Keith Adams, Clemson, Linebacker; Quinton Caver, Arkansas, Linebacker; Rick Crowell, Colorado State, Linebacker; Zeke Moreno, Southern Cal, Linebacker; Dan Morgan, Miami, Linebacker; Chris Nofoaiga, Idaho, Linebacker; Kautai Olevao, Utah, Linebacker; BRENT PASSEY, UTAH STATE, LINEBACKER; Tommy Polley, Florida State, Linebacker; Saleem Rasheed, Alabama, Linebacker; Tim Skipper, Fresno State, Linebacker; Eric Westmoreland, Tennessee, Linebacker; Clayton White, N.C. State, Linebacker; Jamie Winborn, Vanderbilt, Linebacker; Jared Lee, BYU, Safety; Travis Ortega, Rice, Safety;