We still have pre-season watch lists to get through. And it would be unconscionable to look past Earl Campbell’s impact on the game. The ACC has 10 players on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Criteria
This is the 12th annual year for the award. It is presented by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce in Texas and SPORTyler.Of course, Campbell’s nickname when he played was “The Tyler Rose,” in reference to his hometown.
As with all awards, the committee has attached a requisite attribution clause to this one. It will be awarded to, “The top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity.”
The ACC
The ACC players who made the list Wednesday are:
Chandler Rogers, Cal, Redshirt Senior, quarterback
Cade Klubnik, Clemson, Junior, quarterback
Jeremiah Byers, Florida State, Redshirt Senior, offensive line
Haynes King, Georgia Tech, Redshirt Junior, quarterback
Damien Martinez, Miami, Junior, running back
Cam Ward, Miami, Senior, quarterback
Nate Yarnell, Pitt, Redshirt Junior, quarterback
Preston Stone, SMU, Redshirt Junior, quarterback
J’Onre Reed, Syracuse, Senior, center
Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech, Redshirt Junior, quarterback
The Big Picture
This award has the biggest watch list out of any of the pre-season award announcements. There are 93 players in all on the Earl Campbell watch list, including last year’s winner, Ollie Gordon II, the running back from Oklahoma State. Finalists from last year, Ashton Jeanty, Jalen Milroe, and Kaidon Salter are also on this year’s pre-season watch list.
They come from all 10 Division I conferences and include two independent schools. The athletic departments at the schools are the nominating mechanism for players, and the voting committee for the award does the screening.
Sixteen semifinalists will be announced in November. Five finalists will be announced in December. All of the finalists and the ultimate winner are chosen by a panel of broadcasters, commentators, journalists, and previous winners. There will also be a fan vote element. The five finalists all go to the gala in January of next year where the winner is announced.
