Fullback Brian Leonard and tight end Clark Harris of the Rutgers University football team have been named to the 2006 Watch List for the 70th Maxwell Award, which is given annually to the Collegiate Player of the Year.
A total of 60 players have been named to the Maxwell Award’s Watch List for 2006, and include players selected who have distinguished themselves as All-Conference or All-America selections in their careers. The watch list was announced by Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski, the former great quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Harris and Leonard were two of the offensive catalysts that helped propel the Scarlet Knights to a 7-4 regular season record, a third place finish in the BIG EAST Conference and a berth in the Insight Bowl in Phoenix, AZ.
Leonard, of Gouverneur, NY, returns for his fourth season as the Scarlet Knights’ starting fullback. A two-time All-America selection by Pro Football Weekly, Leonard enters his senior season just 19 points shy of being the all-time leading scorer in Rutgers history. He earned All-BIG EAST honors for the second-straight season in 2005, leading the team in receptions (55), scoring (102 points), and all-purpose yards (1,308). The punishing fullback is sixth all-time in rushing yards (2,352) and fifth all-time in rushing touchdowns (27) at Rutgers.
Harris is a two-time All-BIG EAST selection who hauled in 38 passes for 584 yards and four touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights in 2005. He was the No. 1 ranked tight end in the conference for receiving yards per game (48.7) and receptions per game (3.17) For his career, the 6-6, 255-pound Harris, of Manahawkin, has 109 receptions for 1,522 yards and nine TDs. Earlier in the spring, Harris was one of 44 candidates named to the 37th Rotary Lombardi Award Watch list for the 2006 season.
Twelve semi-finalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced in October 2005 and the field will be trimmed to three finalists in November 2005. The winner of the Maxwell k Award will be announced in December, and the formal presentation of the Maxwell Award will take place at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Banquet in March 2007.