Penn State’s Carl Nassib wins Lombardi, Hendricks awards
Carl Nassib, who went to Penn State as a walk-on and did not start a game until his senior year, added two more trophies to his postseason collection Wednesday when he was named winner of both the Rotary Lombardi Award and the Ted Hendricks Award.
Carl Nassib, who went to Penn State as a walk-on and did not start a game until his senior year, added two more trophies to his postseason collection Wednesday when he was named winner of both the Rotary Lombardi Award and the Ted Hendricks Award.
A West Chester native and a graduate of Malvern Prep, Nassib was in Houston at the Rotary Lombardi Award dinner with his parents Wednesday night when his name was called as the winner of the trophy presented to the nation's top lineman or linebacker.
The other finalists were Joey Bosa of Ohio State, Shaq Lawson of Clemson and Myles Garrett of Texas A&M.
"I thought I was going to be last on the list," Nassib said afterward. "I did not think I was going to be anywhere close to it. . . . Winning this right now, I'm so proud, pretty amazing."
Earlier in the day, Nassib won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's best defensive end, defeating five other finalists for the trophy named after the former University of Miami and NFL defensive end who won four Super Bowls and is in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Hendricks was nicknamed "The Mad Stork," and Nassib said he first heard that name three years ago from John Butler, then the defensive coordinator under head coach Bill O'Brien.
"Three years ago, John Butler called me 'the stork' and at the time I didn't know what it means so I took it as an insult," Nassib said in Penn State's release on the award. "But after realizing who it represented, I see it now as a huge compliment. To receive this award is an amazing accomplishment and honor that I will always remember."
Nassib last week won the award as the Big Ten's defensive player of the year.
During the 2015 season, his first as a starter in either high school or college, Nassib led the Football Bowl Subdivision in sacks with 15.5, a Penn State single-season record, and in forced fumbles with six. He also was second in FBS and first in the Big Ten with 19.5 tackles for loss.
Nassib compiled these numbers despite playing just six snaps in Penn State's final two games because of an injury.
Nassib has been named a finalist for a total of six postseason awards, including the Bednarik Award, sponsored by the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia, which will presented Thursday night on ESPN's College Football Awards show in Atlanta. Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich is also a finalist for that honor.
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