Syracuse Tackle Sean Hickey Named to Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List

Not to be outdone by teammate Dyshawn Davis being named to the Butkus Award Watch List, Sean Hickey adds his name to his second pre-season watch list this summer. Announced this morning, the senior Orange tackle was among 123 players across the nation named to the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List. For those who aren't already aware of how this award works, qualifications are as follows:

• Down linemen, end-to-end, who set up on either offense or defense, OR
• Linebackers who set up no further than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage
• AND those players must have earned either All-American, all-conference or other pre-season honors this year

Obviously Hickey qualifies there. The senior was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List just last week. Based on these two pre-season honors so far, it certainly looks like his decision to return to Syracuse was a very good call.

Since its first year in 1970, no Syracuse player has won this award. While Jay Bromley was snubbed from last season's Rotary Lombardi Watch list, Justin Pugh and Chandler Jones both made the cut in their final years at Syracuse.

The Rotary Lombardi Award will announce its winner on December 10 in Houston -- right around when all of the other major college football awards announce as well. While it may seem like a longshot, Syracuse is now on four different lists. The Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award (Hickey), Butkus Award (Davis) and Ray Guy Award (Riley Dixon).