| Awarded for | The best college football lineman of the year |
|---|---|
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Rotary Club of Houston |
| History | |
| First award | 1970 |
| Most recent | Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas (2024) |
| Website | http://www.rotarylombardiaward.org |
TheRotary Lombardi Award is an award forcollege football in theUnited States. Awarded by theRotary Club ofHouston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coachVince Lombardi"[1] the Rotary Lombardi Award program was created in 1970 shortly after the death of Lombardi.[2] The committee outlined the original criteria for eligibility for the award, which remained in place until this day:[3][4]
Following the death of highly regarded football coach Vince Lombardi in 1970 his widow, Marie, authorised the Rotary Club of Houston to establish the Rotary Lombardi Award. The award began as recognition to onlyinterior line positions that Vince Lombardi played while an undergraduate atFordham University, offensive and defensive guard, and later expanded to includelinebackers andtight ends, with the addition of including non-performance values: leadership, courage, desire, respect for authority, and discipline.
To be considered for the award, players must be anNCAA FBS College Football team member and meet the following qualifications:
The voting electorate is made up of the head coaches from allNCAA Division I schools, sports media personnel from across the country, and former winners and finalists of the Lombardi Award. The total number of voters is approximately 500.[5] TheOhio State University holds the record for most Lombardi awards with six.Orlando Pace, the only two-time winner (1995 and 1996), was the most recent offensive lineman to be honored until 2024, when Kelvin Banks, Jr. of the Texas Longhorns took home the award.
Net proceeds from the award activities are contributed tocancer research, awareness, and treatment, on the stipulation of Marie Lombardi.
In 2017, the presenting Rotary Club expanded the award's eligibility to include all positions.[6] This lasted until 2021, when they reverted to the original criteria. The winners from 2017 through 2020 are not recognized by the current award committee, although 2020 winnerZaven Collins qualified under the original criteria.[7]
| Year | Player | School | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Bryce Love | Stanford | RB |
| 2018 | Ugo Amadi | Oregon | S |
| 2019 | Joe Burrow | LSU | QB |
| 2020 | Zaven Collins | Tulsa | LB |
The main part of the trophy is a block ofgranite, paying homage to Lombardi's college days atFordham University as an offensive lineman when his offensive line was referred to as the "Seven Blocks of Granite".[9]
