IU Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana senior offensive lineman Coy Cronk is on the preseason watch list for the 2019 Outland Trophy, presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. The Football Writers Association of America announced the watch list on Tuesday afternoon.

Cronk is one of 83 standout interior linemen representing all 10 Division 1 FBS conferences and independents. The Lafayette, Ind., native has started all 36 games in which he has appeared at left tackle since his arrival at IU, missing just one game due to injury.

He helped the 2018 Hoosiers rank second in the Big Ten and tied for 24th nationally in first downs per game (23.5) and third in the league – 36th nationally – in passing offense (257.8).

Cronk, a two-time Indiana offensive player of week, earned 2016 Freshman All-America honors and landed on ESPN.com and BTN.com All-Freshman teams.

This is the second year of a partnership with the NFID to present the Outland Trophy as part of a public awareness campaign focused on the importance of influenza (flu) prevention during the 2019-20 flu season. The award honoring the top interior lineman in college football will continue to be selected by the FWAA membership and has been rebranded as the Outland Trophy presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases with a social media hashtag of #FightFlu.

University of Pittsburgh All-American Mark May, the 1980 Outland Trophy winner, will serve as the Outland Trophy #FightFlu ambassador for the upcoming season. May will make media appearances on behalf of the #FightFlu public awareness campaign to remind people to get their annual flu shots.

The recipient of the 74th Outland Trophy will be announced during ESPN's The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12, live from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the NFID Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee on Jan. 15, 2020. Up to eight semifinalists will be named on Nov. 20 in Omaha and three finalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 25.

Candidates may be added or removed during the season. The distribution of watch list candidates is spread well among the conferences, with the Big Ten and SEC leading the way with 13 each. The Big 12 and Pac-12 are just behind with 12 apiece, followed by the ACC with 10 as well as the American Athletic (6), Independents and Mountain West (4 each), and Conference USA, Mid-American and Sun Belt (3 each). The list includes 32 offensive tackles, 19 defensive tackles, 18 guards and 14 centers.

The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are a part of the annual FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects a 26-man first team and eventually the three Outland finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.

The Outland Trophy, now in its 74th year, is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.

Cronk and the Hoosiers open the 2019 campaign with a noon ET kickoff against Ball State at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Tickets for IU's six home games are available by clicking here, by phone at 1-866-IUSPORTS or in person at the Assembly Hall Ticket Office. IU will welcome Eastern Illinois (Sept. 7), Ohio State (Sept. 14), Connecticut (Sept. 21), Rutgers (Oct. 12 – Homecoming), Northwestern (Nov. 2) and Michigan (Nov. 23) to Memorial Stadium.

Indiana Football Preseason Watch Lists
Maxwell Award – Stevie Scott III
Allstate Good Works Team – Nick Westbrook
Doak Walker Award – Stevie Scott III
Rimington Trophy – Hunter Littlejohn
Outland Trophy – Coy Cronk

The Huddle

Indiana OL Coy Cronk Named to Outland Trophy Watch List for Nation's Best Lineman

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