July 25, 2006

Courtesy of Nassau County Sports Commission

Manhasset, N.Y. - The 2006 JOHN MACKEY AWARD watch list has been released by the Nassau County Sports Commission.  Given annually to the best collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the JOHN MACKEY AWARD Selection Committee and announced in mid-December.

NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position.  A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.

The John Mackey Award presented since 2000, lists five NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark ('01) of the Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion, Daniel Graham ('02) of the New England Patriots, Kellen Winslow, Jr. ('03) of the Cleveland Browns, Heath Miller ('04) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and Marcedes Lewis ('05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

2006 John Mackey Award Watch List

PLAYER                         YR       SCHOOL

Martellus Bennett      SO        Texas A&M

John Carlson               SR        Notre Dame

Scott Chandler            SR        Iowa

Daniel Coats                SR        BYU

Chase Coffman           SO       Missouri

Fred Davis                    JR        USC

Tyler Ecker                   SR       Michigan

Marcel Frost                JR        Ohio State

Jason Goode               JR        Maryland

Johnny Harline            SR       BYU

Clark Harris                 SR       Rutgers

Matt Herian                  SR       Nebraska

Jamaal Lewis              SR      Arizona State

Zach Miller                   JR       Arizona State

Martrez Milner             SR      Georgia

Dan Murray                  JR       Connecticut

Shawn Nelson             SO      Southern Miss.

Joe Newton                  SR      Oregon State

Greg Olsen                   JR       Miami, Fl

Ben Patrick                  SR       Delaware

Dante Rosario             SR       Oregon

Martin Rucker             JR       Missouri

Tom Santi                     JR       Virginia

Derek Schouman       SR       Boise State

Samuel Smith              SR      Florida Int'l

Matt Spaeth                 SR       Minnesota

Kory Sperry                  JR       Colorado State

Matt Traverso              JR       Stanford

Chad Upshaw              SR       Buffalo

Brad Wood                   SR       Arizona

The Nassau County Sports Commission, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization created to enhance the quality of life through sports is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee.