Kris Wilson Named to John Mackey Award Watch List
6/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Kris Wilson Named to John Mackey Award Watch List
6/25/2003
PITTSBURGH
The John Mackey Award annually goes to college football?s top tight end. The winner of the award will be announced in early December and will receive his trophy at the NCSC?s Annual Awards dinner in April of 2004.
Wilson (Lancaster, Pa./J.P. McCaskey) has started 29 consecutive games for the Panthers and has already gained national recognition entering his final season. Earlier this summer, The Sporting News ranked him as one of the country?s top 10 tight ends.
Last season, Wilson caught 18 passes for a career-high 389 yards (21.6 avg.) with two touchdowns. He was twice named the coaching staff?s Offensive Player of the Game (Notre Dame, Temple) and finished with a season-high 86 yards on two receptions against the Fighting Irish. In the Panthers? upset of Virginia Tech, Wilson hauled in four catches for 85 yards, including a 45-yarder that put Pittsburgh on the Hokies? 14-yard line, setting up a Panther touchdown.
The John Mackey Award was created by the NCSC under the guidance of board member Don McPherson, a Nassau County native and former NFL and Syracuse University All-American quarterback. Mackey, also a Nassau County native, is regarded as one of the best athletes to have played the position of tight end. In addition to being an NFL Hall of Famer, he is a Super Bowl winner (Baltimore, Super Bowl V) and was the first president of the NFLPA.
Pittsburgh closed the 2002 season with a 9-4 mark and No. 18 national ranking. The Panthers climaxed their season with a 38-13 demolition of Oregon State in the Insight Bowl, their second consecutive postseason victory.
Numerous publications are predicting a top 10 finish for Pittsburgh in 2003.
Season-ticket packages are available by calling (800) 643-PITT.
The following 22 player make up the 2003 John Mackey Award Watch List:
| Bobby Blizzard | SR | North Carolina |
| Andrew Clarke | JR | Toledo |
| Chris Cooley | SR | Utah State |
| Joel Dreessen | JR | Colorado State |
| Brock Edwards | SR | Texas |
| Tim Euhus | SR | Oregon State |
| Alex Holmes | SR | USC |
| Robert Johnson | SR | Auburn |
| Eric Knott | JR | Michigan State |
| Heath Miller | SO | Virginia |
| Brett Pierce | SR | Stanford |
| Jason Rader | SR | Marshall |
| Duncan Reid | JR | Fresno State |
| Andy Roland | SO | Duke |
| Bo Scaife | SR | Texas |
| Alex Smith | JR | Stanford |
| Ben Troupe | SR | Florida |
| Ben Utecht | SR | Minnesota |
| Benjamin Watson | SR | Georgia |
| Kris Wilson | SR | Pittsburgh |
| Kellen Winslow | JR | Miami (Fla.) |
| Kevin Zureki | SR | Eastern Michigan |