As watch-list nominations wrapped up this week, three Stanford football players who had been named to earlier lists were recognized again for four awards.
Heisman Trophy runner-up Andrew Luck was nominated for both the Walter Camp and Davey O’Brien Awards for the player of the year and the nation’s top quarterback, respectively. He was one of three finalists for both awards last year as a redshirt sophomore before losing out to Auburn quarterback Cam Newton in each.
Rising junior linebacker Shayne Skov was named to his fourth watch list, the highest tally for any Stanford football player this offseason. After posting double-digit tackles in a bowl game for his second straight season, he’s in the running for the Butkus Award for the best linebacker in the country.
Stanford also has an outside shot at winning the Doak Walker Award for the second time in three seasons, with rising junior Stepfan Taylor on this year’s list of the nation’s top running backs and hoping to live up to the legacy of 2008 winner Toby Gerhart. Part of a by-committee running core for the Cardinal, Taylor emerged as Stanford’s top back with over 200 yards per game in 2010.
-Joseph Beyda