Wake Forest Athletics
Vallos Tabbed For Lombardi Trophy Watch List
8/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 10, 2006
HOUSTON - Wake Forest senior offensive tackle Steve Vallos was named Thursday to the 2006 Lombardi Trophy watch list, an award given to college football's best offensive or defensive lineman. The list includes 101 candidates selected by the Rotary Lombardi Trophy committee.
The native of Boardman, Ohio, is also on the Outland Trophy watch list. Last season, he was a member of the Lombardi Trophy watch list and was selected honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference in his first year full-time at tackle. In 2005, Vallos was a team captain as a junior and one of only three players to start all 11 games on offense for the Deacons. He was the leader of Wake Forest's offensive line that paved the way for Chris Barclay to break the school's all-time rushing record en route to earning ACC Player of the Year honors. Vallos helped Wake Forest lead the ACC in rushing, averaging more than 197 yards per game. He graded out at 87 percent for the season with a team-best 146 knockdown blocks -- almost twice as many as anyone else on the team.
As a sophomore, Vallos played four offensive line positions and garnered second team All-ACC honors. He had started every game of his career, including 34 straight dating to August 30, 2003. Vallos has played 2,319 snaps in his first three seasons as a Demon Deacon.
Founded in the weeks following the death of legendary football coach Vince Lombardi from cancer in 1970, the Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia Bank, has raised millions of dollars for the American Cancer Society.
The 37th Rotary Lombardi Award dinner will be held on December 6, 2006 at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston.
