Lucas on Watch-List for Nation’s Top Lineman

EUGENE – University of Oregon senior center Enoka Lucas is one of 54 players from around the country nominated for consideration for the Outland Trophy, which annually has been awarded to the best offensive or defensive lineman in college football since 1946.

Lucas, a 6-4, 299-pound pre-season all-Pacific-10 Conference choice from Honolulu, Hawaii, is a two-year starter who anchored the Ducks’ offensive line a year ago as the program’s lone returning starter. The 20-game career starter helped pave the way for an offense that ranked in the top 20 in passing offense (8th), scoring offense (12th) and total offense (18th), while improving from 10th to third in the league in quarterback sacks allowed.

The Football Writers Association of America award, as selected by the FWAA All-America committee, will be announced Dec. 7 in Orlando, Fla., and will be presented at a banquet sponsored by the Greater Omaha (Neb.) Sports Committee and First Data Corporation on Jan. 11, 2007.

Former Oregon defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was one of the three finalists for last year’s award won by Minnesota center Greg Eslinger.

Lucas stands as one of six Pac-10 nominees for the award named after the late John Outland, who was a lineman at the University of Pennsylvania at the turn of the century.