Kirkpatrick A Rotary Lombardi Award Finalist
11/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 10, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Rotary Club of Houston has announced TCU center Jake Kirkpatrick as one of four finalists for the 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award, presented annually to the nation's top college football lineman.
The award honors the memory of Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Kirkpatrick is the lone offensive lineman among the Rotary Lombardi Award finalists. The other finalists are Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn and Auburn defensive lineman Nick Fairley.
This is the second straight year that TCU has had a Rotary Lombardi Award finalist. Two-time consensus All-America defensive end Jerry Hughes was a finalist last year, when the award was presented to Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh.
Kirkpatrick sets the blocking scheme on each play for the third-ranked Horned Frogs. He was a first-team All-American last season and one of six finalists for the 2009 Rimington Trophy, presented to the nation's top center.
A 6-foot-3, 305-pound senior from Tyler, Texas, Kirkpatrick is the anchor of a TCU offensive line that paves the way for the Horned Frogs to rank eighth nationally in scoring offense (41.4 points per game) and total offense (492.9 yards per game) and 10th in rushing (261.5 yards per game).
Kirkpatrick never played football until his senior year at Robert E. Lee High School. He was previously a first-team all-state selection in basketball. He also lettered in baseball and tennis in high school.
The 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award winner will be announced Dec. 8 in Houston.
