WISCONSIN'S CARIMI WINS 2010 OUTLAND TROPHY Courtesy of the Football Writers Association of America

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (FWAA) – Wisconsin offensive tackle Gabe Carimi was named the 65th winner of the Outland Trophy on Thursday night, becoming the second player from Wisconsin to win the award in five seasons.         The winner of the Outland Trophy, which goes to the best interior lineman in college football, was announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show from The Walt Disney World Resort.         Carimi, a 6-7, 327-pound senior from Cottage Grove, Wis., has been a stalwart at left tackle for the Badgers (11-1) since taking over for 2006 Outland Trophy winner Joe Thomas at the beginning of the 2007 season. He has started 48 games in four seasons for the Badgers, who finished in a three-way tie for the Big Ten championship with Michigan State and Ohio State this season. The Badgers are headed to the Rose Bowl to face TCU.        He is one of the main reasons Wisconsin ranks 12th in the country in rushing (247.3 yards per game) and is second nationally in rushing touchdowns with a school-record 46. Wisconsin is fourth in the country in scoring offense (43.3), which is a school record and the Badgers' offensive line has allowed just 12 sacks in 12 games.        Carimi was a part of a dominating offensive line in the Badgers' 83-20 defeat of Indiana when star running back John Clay was out with an injury. Carimi and the rest of the Wisconsin line were co-Badger Offensive Players of Week in a 41-23 victory over Minnesota this season. Carimi is one of just three offensive players to start every game for the Badgers this season and is considered a cinch early-round NFL Draft pick.        "It's such a great honor to be named the Outland Trophy winner," Carimi said. "I was nervous going up there. I was trying to hide behind my facemask. I'm extremely happy, (but) I don't think it has set in yet."        "Ever since I've been around Gabe Carimi, he's a guy that is very focused on success," Wisconsin Coach Bret Bielema said earlier this season. "He is kind of a perfectionist. You are always worried – I think early on in Gabe's career – that he was going to be too hard on himself."        Carimi becomes the fourth Big Ten Conference player to win the Outland Trophy in the last eight seasons after Iowa's Robert Gallery (2003), Minnesota's Greg Eslinger (2005) and Thomas (2006).        The FWAA selects the Outland Trophy winner from its 25-man All-America team which will be announced on Saturday afternoon on ABC-TV at 2 p.m. ET. Carimi claimed the Outland Trophy over Florida State guard Rodney Hudson and Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder, also both seniors.       The Outland Trophy, which has been awarded annually by the FWAA since 1946, is named after the late John Outland, a lineman at Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. The Outland Trophy is the third oldest award in major college football behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.        The official 2010 award presentation to Carimi will be Jan. 13, 2011 in Omaha, Neb., at a banquet sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee. At the banquet, Mike McGee of Duke will receive an Outland Trophy. He was the 1959 winner of the award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2010 Outland Trophy Finalists

     DALLAS _Colorado's   Nate Solder and Florida State's Rodney Hudson were announced as two of the three finalists for the Outland Trophy by the Football Writers Association of America.   

 

   Solder CU's starting left tackle, he is CU's most decorated in the preseason since 2006 (PK Mason Crosby).  His top honor was being named to the prestigious Playboy Preseason All-America team; he also earned first-team honors from The Kickoff and Consensus Draft Services, second-team mention from Lindy's Big 12 Football and Phil Steele's College Football, and third-team from Athlon and CFI.  A unanimous preseason All-Big 12 selection, he is also one of 63 players on the watch list for the Outland Trophy and one of 75 for the Lombardi Award.  Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 72 player overall (all positions) in the nation, while Lindy's rated him as the No. 3 offensive tackle, with Phil Steele tabbing him No. 7 on that same list.   ESPN.com ranked him as the No. 5 "freak" in the nation as far as conditioning is concerned; with less than 7 percent body fat on his frame, he power-cleans 415 pounds (for three reps), hang-cleans 473 (also three reps), owns a 4.88 time in the 40 and a 32-inch vertical jump.  Those numbers helped him earn the team's Iron Buffalo Award for the second straight year for all offensive linemen.  He was also a co-recipient of the Greg Biekert Award for attention to detail.  

 

 

 

 ************************************************

 

 

      Hudson a consensus preseason All-American and candidate for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy, Hudson is on the cusp of becoming one of the most decorated linemen in FSU history from his left guard position. Is poised to become the first offensive lineman in league history to earn All-ACC honors four times. Earned the Hinesman Award as the most dominant performer at the conclusion of spring practice and was also honored with the Matt Schmauch academic award.

 

       The Outland Trophy, which has been awarded annually by the FWAA since 1946, is named after the late John Outland, a lineman at Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. The Outland Trophy is the third oldest award in major college football behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.   The official 2010 award presentation will be Jan. 13, 2010, in Omaha, Nebraska at a banquet sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee. A Past Winner of, the Outland Trophy, will also receive his trophy there.