Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LOGAN — Utah State linebackers Kyler Fackrell and Zach Vigil were named to the watch list Monday for the Rotary Lombardi Trophy, which is presented annually to the top down lineman or linebacker who sets up within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
Aggie kicker Nick Diaz was also one of 40 kickers named to the College Football Performance Awards Placekicker of the Year Trophy watch list on Monday.
Fackrell also earned a spot on the 51-player watch list for the Butkus Award, given annually to the top linebacker in college football. Colorado State's Aaron Davis and Wyoming's Sunny Puetasi also made the list.
The Rotary Lombardi watch list is comprised of 123 players from 76 universities, including seven other players from the Mountain West Conference. The list also includes Fresno State guard Cody Wichmann, linebacker Ejiro Ederaine and defensive tackle Tyeler Davison; Wyoming defensive end Eddie Yarbrough; UNLV guard Cameron Jefferson and tackle Brett Boyko; Nevada defensive end Brock Hekking; and Hawaii center Ben Clarke.
BYU’s Alani Fua, Bronson Kaufusi and Remington Peck were the other Utah-based players named to the watch list.
Six other Mountain West kickers made the watch list for the CFPA trophy, including Air Force’s Will Conant, Boise State’s Dan Goodale, Colorado State’s Jared Roberts, Nevada’s Brent Zuzo and San Jose State’s Austin Lopez. Utah’s Andy Phillips also made the list of 40.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Fackrell made 82 total tackles that included 13 tackles for loss, as well as five sacks and two forced fumbles in 2013 as a sophomore. The junior from Mesa, Arizona, was a sophomore All-American by College Football News and second-team all-Mountain West linebacker.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Vigil also picked up second-team all-MWC honors as a junior in 2013. The senior from Clearfield started all 14 games for the Aggies, when he racked up 124 total tackles, 12½ tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry.
Diaz, a 5-foot-8, 182-pound senior from Redondo Beach, California, averaged 1.21 field goals and 7.3 points per game as a junior. He converted 51-of-52 point-after attempts, and added 17-of-23 field goals to rank seventh in school history. Diaz is second all-time in Utah State history with 102 points scored.
