July 26, 2006

Southern Miss redshirt sophomore tight end Shawn Nelson has been named to the John Mackey Award Watch List, as announced by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Nelson was one of three sophomores named to the list and the only tight end from Conference USA to be selected. The John Mackey Award is given annually to the best collegiate tight end. The award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee and announced in mid-December.

Nelson already has been tabbed preseason All-Conference USA by Athlon's, C-USA Coaches, Street and Smiths and The Sporting News.

In 2005, Nelson had the best season by a Golden Eagle tight end in school history, earning Freshman All-American honors from The Sporting News and collegefootballnews.com. He was named third-team All-Conference USA and selected to Conference USA's All-Freshman team, as he led the team with 35 catches for 540 yards, averaging 15.4 yards per catch, while scoring five touchdowns. He was named the MVP in the New Orleans Bowl after he finished with six catches for 121 yards and scored two touchdowns.

NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.

The John Mackey Award presented since 2000, lists five NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark ('01) of the Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion, Daniel Graham ('02) of the New England Patriots, Kellen Winslow, Jr. ('03) of the Cleveland Browns, Heath Miller ('04) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and Marcedes Lewis ('05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

2006 JOHN MACKEY AWARD WATCH LIST

Player Year School

Martellus Bennett So. Texas A&M
John Carlson Sr. Notre Dame
Scott Chandler Sr. Iowa
Daniel Coats Sr. BYU
Chase Coffman So. Missouri
Fred Davis Jr. USC
Tyler Ecker Sr. Michigan
Marcel Frost Jr. Ohio State
Jason Goode Jr. Maryland
Johnny Harline Sr. BYU
Clark Harris Sr. Rutgers
Matt Herian Sr. Nebraska
Jamaal Lewis Sr. Arizona State
Zach Miller Jr. Arizona State
Martrez Milner Sr. Georgia
Dan Murray Jr. Connecticut
Shawn Nelson So. Southern Miss
Joe Newton Sr. Oregon State
Greg Olsen Jr. Miami, Fla.
Ben Patrick Sr. Delaware
Dante Rosario Sr. Oregon
Martin Rucker Jr. Missouri
Tom Santi Jr. Virginia
Derek Schouman Sr. Boise State
Samuel Smith Sr. Florida Int'l
Matt Spaeth Sr. Minnesota
Kory Sperry Jr. Colorado State
Matt Traverso Jr. Stanford
Chad Upshaw Sr. Buffalo
Brad Wood Sr. Arizona