May 23, 2003

Columbia, Mo. - University of Missouri senior offensive tackle Rob Droege has been named to the 2003 Rotary Lombardi Pre-Season Watch List, as announced today by the Rotary Lombardi Executive Committee.

Droege, a 1st-Team All-Big 12 pick last year for the Tigers, is one of 39 Division I standouts who have met the established criteria and have been named to the preliminary Watch List of candidates for the 34th annual award, which will be awarded at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on December 10, 2003.

Droege played a key role in 2002 as the Tiger offensive line paved the way for a record-setting offensive attack. The Tigers scored the third-most points in school history (360) and redshirt freshman quarterback Brad Smith became only the second Division I-A player to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. Droege has earned 3rd-Team Pre-Season All-American mention by Athlon Magazine for 2003.

The 39 preliminary candidates earned a place on the initial Watch List by earning All-American honors at the end of the 2002 season, or by being named to their respective All Conference team as selected by the conference's head coaches. The Watch List will be updated prior to the start of the 2003 season, in order to identify those players who have been selected as pre-season honors candidates.

Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen and those defensive players who line up within five yards of the football. While the Watch Lists highlights players who have already received national recognition, any Division I player who meets the position requirements is eligible for consideration from the Rotary Lombardi Selection Committee, which is comprised of nearly 300 members, including all Division I head coaches, former winners, sportswriters and broadcasters. The Rotary Lombardi Watch List, intended as a reference tool for the Selection Committee, will be periodically updated and revised through the conclusion of the voting to determine the 12 Semifinalists for 2003.

Now in its 34th year of honoring the top lineman in Division I, the Rotary Lombardi Award Dinner has raised over $2.7 million for The American Cancer Society since it was first held in 1970.