Burney, Williams Named To Thorpe Award Watch List
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - University of North Carolina safety Deunta Williams and cornerback Kendric Burney have been named to the 2009 Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list, which is presented annually to the nation’s top defensive back. Both players are juniors from Jacksonville, N.C.
Williams had 65 tackles and three interceptions last season. In 2007, he was named the ACC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year. Burney was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2008 with 78 tackles and three interceptions.
The Thorpe Award is one of college football’s most sought after and prestigious awards. It is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also was an awesome defensive back. Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as “The Legend”, Thorpe also played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon.
The Jim Thorpe Award “watch list” is determined by analysis of the pre-season All-American teams listed in at least six pre-season college football annual magazines. Four points are awarded for first team, three points for second team, two points for third and one point for honorable mentions. This procedure determines approximately 30-40 players on the pre-season watch list. This list is not final and players who have outstanding seasons are added as the season progresses.
