Press release from Texas A&M Athletics:
LOS ANGELES — Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner have been named to the Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List, the awards committee announced Thursday morning. The award is given annually to the nation’s top lineman.
Scourton arrived in Aggieland in January after leading the Big Ten with 10.0 sacks and ranking fourth with 15.0 tackles for loss as a sophomore last season at Purdue. Scourton started all 11 games he played in and was fifth on the team with 50 tackles while also forcing a fumble and defending three passes. He finished the year with Second Team All-Big Ten honors. A native of Bryan, Texas, Scourton impressed in the Maroon & White Game this spring, recording seven tackles, including 3.5 for loss, while contributing for both teams. This preseason, Scourton was also named to the Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award watch lists while being named to the All-America First-Team and All-SEC Second-Team by ESPN and Sporting News.
Turner returns for his final season after helping the Aggies have the best rush defense in the SEC and rank third in the league in total defense last season (316.2). Texas A&M limited opponents to just 108.8 rushing yards per game and nine touchdowns on the ground while leading the league in sacks (42.0) and finishing second in tackles for loss (99.0). Turner has started every game the past two seasons. The DeSoto, Texas, native was in the top three on the team with 6.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss last year, ranking eighth and ninth, respectively, among SEC defensive linemen. As a junior, he recorded 33 total tackles and blocked two kicks and was named to the All-SEC Second Team at the end of the season. Turner was also nominated for the Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List and was named to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team.
The Lombardi Award was established in 1970 in memory of legendary coach Vince Lombardi. It is given to outstanding linemen who best embody his values of leadership, courage, performance and discipline on and off the field. Additionally, the list of inductees includes players who consistently demonstrate the values of strength, agility and football skill at their respective positions. This is the 51st anniversary of the award, which has been presented in Houston since its inception. The 2024 awards dinner will be held on December 11, and net proceeds from the gala sponsorship and table sales will benefit cancer research and families and patients battling cancer.
The Aggies begin the 2024 season hosting Notre Dame on Saturday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
