ATLANTA (FWAA) Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell was named the recipient of the 74th Outland Trophy on Thursday night during The Home Depot College Football Awards from the College Football Hall of Fame.
The 2019 Outland Trophy, presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), is awarded annually to the nations best college interior lineman on offense or defense. NFID is presenting the trophy to help increase awareness about the importance of influenza (flu) prevention. Getting vaccinated each year is your best first line of defense against flu.
Sewell is the first Outland Trophy winner from Oregon and the third consecutive sophomore to receive the prestigious award. Sewell is just the eighth winner from a Pac-12 school and the third since 2000. He was selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) from three finalists, including Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown and Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz. The Ducks had two previous finalists in Jake Fisher (OT, 2014) and Haloti Ngata (DT, 2005).
The official presentation to the winner will be made at the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Outland Trophy Award Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises on Jan. 15, 2020 in Omaha, Neb.
The 6-6, 325-pound true sophomore originally from Malaeimi, American Samoa and then Desert Hills High School in St. George, Utah, showed his dominance at left tackle early in the season. He was the Outland Trophy Offensive Player of the Month for September as the Ducks became the Pac-12's third-leading offense (26th nationally) behind quarterback Justin Herbert. In 466 pass-blocking snaps this season, Sewell allowed just seven quarterback pressures and no sacks. He had eight games without allowing a pressure, hit and hurry on the quarterback.
Sewell is the top-graded offensive lineman at any position by Pro Football Focus, which gave him a national-best 95.5 run-blocking grade and a 92.2 in pass-blocking, second nationally. The Pac-12 named him its Offensive Lineman of the Week award four times.
Oregon (11-2) is 16-3 over the last two seasons with Sewell in the starting lineup and heads to its fourth Rose Bowl appearance since 2010 and eighth overall on Jan. 1, 2020, where it will take on Wisconsin.
Former University of Pittsburgh tackle Mark May, the 1980 Outland Trophy winner, has served as the 2019 Outland Trophy #FightFlu ambassador on behalf of NFID. May is making media appearances on behalf of the NFID #FightFlu public awareness campaign to remind everyone age six months and older to get vaccinated annually against flu.
The Outland Trophy is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
About the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Founded in 1973, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to educating the public and healthcare professionals about the burden, causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases across the lifespan. Visit nfid.org for more information.
About the Football Writers Association of America
Founded in 1941, the non-profit Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) consists of more than 1,300 members, including journalists, broadcasters, publicists and key executives in all areas of college football. Led by current President Stefanie Loh of the Seattle Times, longtime Executive Director Steve Richardson, and a board of veteran journalists, the association continues to grow and work to help college football prosper at all levels. Visit footballwriters.com for more information about the FWAA and its award programs.
Media Contacts
Doug Drotman (doug@drotmanpr.com or 631-462-1198)
Steve Richardson (tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516)
Diana Olson (dolson@nfid.org or 301-656-0003, x140)
Twitter
@NFIDvaccines, @OutlandTrophy, @TheFWAA, @Mark_May, #FightFlu
Related links:
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Trophy presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
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