SPRIGGS AN OUTLAND TROPHY SEMIFINALIST
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IU Media Relations
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana senior left tackle Jason Spriggs is one of six semifinalists for the 2015 Outland Trophy, it was announced on Thursday evening during a reception hosted by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee.
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), in a call of its 2015 All-America Committee, determined Spriggs and the following five players as semifinalists for the award, in alphabetical order: Baylor offensive tackle Spencer Drango, Stanford offensive guard Joshua Garnett, Alabama center Ryan Kelly, Alabama defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson and Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.
The field for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the best interior lineman in college football on offense or defense, will be reduced to three players early next week. Those finalists will be announced the evening of Nov. 24 on ESPNU at 5 p.m. ET during The Home Depot College Football Awards Nomination Special. The winner of the 70th Outland Trophy will be revealed on Dec. 10 from 7-9 p.m. ET on ESPN on The Home Depot College Football Awards, for the first time live from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
Spriggs has anchored Indiana's offensive line at left tackle since his arrival in Bloomington in 2012. He has started a team-high 44 times in 45 games, including 28 consecutive to open his career.
In 2015, Spriggs owns a career-best 56 knockdowns in 805 snaps and has allowed just two sacks in 365 called pass attempts. Coupled with his 2014 performance, the Elkhart, Ind., native has only given up four sacks in 1,494 plays.
During the Hoosiers spring testing, Spriggs ran a 4.82 40-yard dash (would have been 1st among 2015 NFL Combine participants), posted a 37.5 vertical leap (1st), benched 455 pounds and 33 reps on the 225-pound bench (4th), and clean lifted 365 pounds.
Indiana ranks first in the Big Ten in total offense (467.5; 28th nationally), second in passing offense (269.6; 32nd), third in rushing offense (197.9, 37th) and fourth in scoring offense (33.3, 41st) this season. The Hoosiers are first in the Big Ten (T-19th nationally) with 12 sacks allowed.
The Outland Trophy, which has been awarded annually by the FWAA since 1946, is named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1900s. The Outland Trophy is the third-oldest award in major college football behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.
For the 19th consecutive year, the presentation banquet of the Outland Trophy will occur in Omaha. The official 2015 Outland Trophy presentation to the winner will be on Jan. 14, 2016, at a banquet sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee. At the same banquet, Maryland defensive lineman Randy White will receive an Outland Trophy. He was the 1974 winner of the award, before trophies were handed out by the FWAA. The former Dallas Cowboys star is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 22 awards boast more than 700 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit ncfaa.orgto learn more about our story.
Celebrating its 75th season, the Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.
The Greater Omaha Sports Committee, founded in 1977, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, consisting of more than 300 men and women from the City of Omaha and the State of Nebraska. The membership serves to communicate, develop, initiate and promote sports activities in the Greater Omaha sports area