July 6, 2004
LAS VEGAS - Preseason First Team All-America UNLV defensive back Jamaal Brimmer was one of 60 players named Monday to the 2004 watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation's top defensive college football player.
Released by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the Football Writers Association of America, the watch list helps determine the winner of the award named after Hall of Famer and University of Minnesota and Chicago Bears star Bronko Nagurski.
Brimmer, who will be a senior this fall, is a 6-1, 215-pound graduate of Durango High School in Las Vegas. The strong safety was the media's choice as the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in both 2002 and 2003. Last season he led the league with six interceptions and was one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award. Brimmer is the first All-American to return to the Rebels for another season since Randall Cunningham in 1984.
The watch list will be updated each week during the season along with the selection of a Bronko Nagurski Player of the Week, an honor that Brimmer won after a dominating performance in a 23-5 win at Wisconsin on Sept. 13, 2003.
In November, five finalists will be selected by the FWAA All-America committee and the trophy will be presented to the winner at a banquet on December 6 in Charlotte, N.C. The 800-member Football Writers Association of America selects the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list candidates, identifies the players of the week and names the trophy winner. The Charlotte Touchdown Club, a non-profit organization that raises funds for scholarships, has presented the trophy each year since 1995. The 2003 winner was Oklahoma defensive back Derrick Strait.
2004 BRONKO NAGURSKI WATCH LISTMuhammad Abdullah, DB, KentuckyAdam Jones, CB, West VirginiaAllan Adami, DT, SMUEric King, DB, Wake ForestBrian Atkinson, LB, Northern IllinoisJames Kinney, LB, MissouriAndy Avalos, LB, Boise StateMathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston CollegeAdrian Awasom, DE, North TexasMaurice Lloyd, LB, ConnecticutJermaine Berry, DT, Kansas StateJamus Martin, DE, MarshallJason Berryman, DE, Iowa StateDonnie McCleskey, DB, CaliforniaJamaal Brimmer, DB, UNLVMitch Meeuwsen, FS, Oregon StateMichael Boley, LB, Southern MissEric Moore, DE, Florida St.Nick Bunting, LB, TulsaZach Morris, NG, WyomingKevin Burnett, LB, TennesseeKirk Morrison, LB, San Diego StateChris Canty, DE, VirginiaTerna Nande, LB, Miami (Ohio)Shaun Cody, DT-DE, USCDavid Pollack, DE, GeorgiaChanning Crowder, LB, FloridaBrady Poppinga, DE, BYUWill Derting, LB, Washington StateJosh Powell, DB, San Jose StateDiamond Ferri, SS, SyracuseJulius Roberts, DE, Boise StateDan Cody, DE, OklahomaRobert Rodriguez, LB, UTEPTrent Cole, DE, CincinnatiMatt Roth, DE, IowaJustin Crooks, LB, BaylorDeMeco Ryans, LB, AlabamaAdell Duckett, DE, Texas TechJames Sanders, DB, Fresno StateSimon Fraser, DE, Ohio StateMorgan Scalley, DB, UtahOrien Harris, DT., MiamiMarcus Spears, DE, LSUSpencer Havner, LB, UCLAJohn Syptak, DE, RiceJovan Haye, DE, VanderbiltPat Thomas, LB, N.C. StateAnttaj Hawthorne, DT, WisconsinJustin Tuck, DE, Notre DameEric Henderson, DE, Georgia TechRian Wallace, LB, TempleLeroy Hill, LB, ClemsonDarrent Williams, DB, Oklahoma StateD'Qwell Jackson, LB, MarylandJimmy Williams, DB, Virginia TechDerrick Johnson, LB, TexasPierre Woods, LB, MichiganJarvis Johnson, SS, RutgersZac Woodfin, LB, UAB
