June 19, 2006

DALLAS - Wake Forest senior offensive tackle Steve Vallos was named to the 2006 Outland Trophy watch list, an award given to college football's best offensive or defensive lineman. The list include 54 candidates selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

The native of Boardman, Ohio, was a member of the Lombardi Trophy watch list last season and was selected honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference in his first year full-time at tackle. In 2005, Vallos was a team captain as a junior and one of only three players to start all 11 games on offense for the Deacons. He was the leader of Wake Forest's offensive line that paved the way for Chris Barclay to break the school's all-time rushing record en route to earning ACC Player of the Year honors. Vallos helped Wake Forest lead the ACC in rushing, averaging more than 197 yards per game. He graded out at 87 percent for the season with a team-best 146 knockdown blocks -- almost twice as many as anyone else on the team.

As a sophomore, Vallos played four offensive line positions and garnered second team All-ACC honors. He had started every game of his career, including 34 straight dating to August 30, 2003. Vallos has played 2,319 snaps in his first three seasons as a Demon Deacon.

Vallos is one of only five ACC players on the watch list and just one of four offensive linemen.

The 2006 Outland Trophy announcement will be on Dec. 7 in Orlando, Fla., on the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show. The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee and First Data Corporation, is set for Jan. 11, 2007, in Omaha, Neb.

2006 Outland Trophy Watch List

Player, School  	        Pos.  	Cl.  	Hometown
Will Arnold, LSU 	        G 	Jr. 	Gloster, Miss.
Sam Baker, USC 	                OT 	Jr. 	Tustin, Calif.
Kirk Barton, Ohio State 	OT 	Jr. 	Massillon, Ohio
George Batiste, Southern Miss 	OL 	Sr. 	Avondale, La.
Josh Beekman, Boston College 	G 	Sr. 	Amsterdam, N.Y.
Justin Blalock, Texas 	        OT 	Sr. 	Plano, Texas
Conrad Bolston, Maryland 	DT 	Sr. 	Burtonsville, Md.
Levi Brown, Penn State 	        OT 	Sr. 	Granby, Pa.
Andrew Browning, Boise State 	DT 	Sr. 	Lake Oswego, Ore.
Ryan Clady, Boise State 	OT 	So. 	Rialto, Calif.
Brent Curvey, Iowa State 	DL 	Sr. 	Houston, Texas
Brian Daniels, Colorado 	OL 	Sr. 	Evergreen, Colo.
Tim Duckworth, Auburn 	        G 	Sr. 	Taylorsville, Miss.
Mark Fenton, Colorado 	        C 	Sr. 	Inglewood, Calif.
Doug Free, Northern Illinois 	OT 	Sr. 	Manitowoc, Wis.
Roman Fry, Clemson 	        OL 	Sr. 	Ironton, Ohio
Howie Fuimaono, UNLV 	        DL 	Sr. 	Chula Vista, Calif.
Rhema Fuller, Connecticut 	DT 	Sr. 	Cocoa, Fla.
Jared Gaither, Maryland 	OT 	So. 	White Plains, Md.
Ryan Harris, Notre Dame 	OL 	Sr. 	St. Paul, Minn.
Daniel Inman, Georgia 	        OT 	Sr. 	Hope Mills, N.C.
Tanner Jenkins, Arkansas State 	C 	Sr. 	Baton Rouge, La.
Chase Johnson, Wyoming 	        OT 	Sr. 	Loveland, Colo.
Ryan Kalil, USC 	        C 	Sr. 	Corona, Calif.
Jake Kuresa, BYU 	        OL 	Sr. 	Millville, Utah
Jake Long, Michigan 	        OL 	Sr. 	Lapeer, Mich.
Enoka Lucas, Oregon 	        C 	Sr. 	Honolulu, Hawaii
Kurt Mann, Nebraska 	        OL 	Sr. 	Grand Island, Neb.
Brandon Mebane, California 	DT 	Sr. 	Los Angeles, Calif.
Remel Meekins, Rutgers 	        DL 	Sr. 	Westwood, N.J.
Dan Mozes, West Virginia 	OL 	Sr. 	Washington, Pa.
David Ochoa, Kansas 	        OL 	Sr. 	Houston, Texas
Jeff Perrett, Tulsa 	        OT 	Sr. 	Taber, Alberta
Jeremy Perry, Oregon State 	OL 	So. 	Laie, Hawaii
Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State 	DT 	Sr. 	Piqua, Ohio
Kurt Quarterman, Louisville 	OL 	Sr. 	Albany, Ga.
Manuel Ramirez, Texas Tech 	OL 	Sr. 	Sugarland, Texas
SirVincent Rogers, Houston 	OL 	Jr. 	Jasper, Texas
Samson Satele, Hawaii 	        OL 	Sr. 	Kaneohe, Hawaii
Arron Sears, Tennessee 	        OT 	Sr. 	Russellville, Ala.
Jeremy Sheffey, West Virginia 	G 	Sr. 	Catlettsburg, Ky.
Brian Stamper, Vanderbilt 	OT 	Sr. 	Windermere, Fla.
Herbert Taylor, TCU 	        OT 	Sr. 	Houston, Texas
Shannon Tevaga, UCLA 	        G 	Jr. 	Paramount, Calif.
Joe Thomas, Wisconsin 	        OL 	Sr. 	Brookfield, Wis.
Marcus Thomas, Florida 	        DT 	Sr. 	Jacksonville, Fla.
Robert Turner, New Mexico 	G 	Sr. 	Austin, Texas
Kelly Talavou, Utah 	        DL 	Sr. 	Santa Ana, Calif.
Tavo Tupola, Utah 	        OL 	Sr. 	Kahuku, Hawaii
Steve Vallos, Wake Forest 	OT 	Sr. 	Boardman, Ohio
Greg Wafford, Kansas State 	OL 	Sr. 	Lancaster, Texas
Theodric Watson, South Florida 	OL 	Sr. 	St. Petersburg, Fla.
Eric Wood, Louisville 	        OL 	So. 	Cincinnati, Ohio
Kyle Young, Fresno State 	C 	Sr. 	Fallbrook, Calif.