The 2012 Rotary Lombardi Award, which goes every year to the nation's top lineman or linebacker, has released it's latest watch list, and among the entrants are a slew of local players.
This year's crop includes players from the Colorado Buffaloes, Colorado St. Rams, Utah Utes and Utah State Aggies. Past winners have included LB A.J. Hawk, LB Terrell Suggs, DE Julius Peppers and OT Orlando Pace (the only two-time winner). Here is a look at the local contenders, with player highlights courtesy of Yahoo!:
| Player | Position | University | Player Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Bakhtiari | OT | Colorado | Moves to left tackle after 2nd team All-Pac 12 season in 2011 |
| Weston Richburg | C | Colorado State | 2nd team All-MWC in 2011, 1st team Freshman All-American in 2010 |
| Star Lotulelei | DT | Utah | Thought to be the best nose tackle in college football, 9 TFL in 2011 |
| Tyler Larsen | C | Utah State | 1st team All-WAC offensive lineman selection in 2011 |
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