Mackey watch list deep with talent

2012 major awards watch lists

Bethpage, N.Y. — Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert, the only returning finalist from 2011, joins 32 other players from around the country as part of the 2012 John Mackey Award preseason watch list. The award annually honors the most outstanding collegiate tight end and is presented by the Nassau County Sports Commission. 

The award is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award selection committee. The 2012 John Mackey Award will be presented on Dec. 6, 2012 at ESPNU College Football Awards Show.

Presented since 2000, the John Mackey Award lists 11 NFL players as alumni: 2006 Super Bowl champion Dallas Clark (2001) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, two-time Super Bowl champion Daniel Graham (2002), Kellen Winslow II (2003) of the Seattle Seahawks, two-time Super Bowl champion Heath Miller (2004) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis (2005) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, 2008 Super Bowl champion Matt Spaeth (2006) of of the Chicago Bears, Fred Davis (2007) of the Washington Redskins, Chase Coffman (2008) of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, Aaron Hernandez (2009) of the New England Patriots, D.J. Williams (2010) of the Green Bay Packers and the 2011 John Mackey Award recipient Dwayne Allen of the Indianapolis Colts.