The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Orakpo wins Lombardi Award
12.10.2008 | Football
Dec. 10, 2008
Senior DE Brian Orakpo was named the winner of the 39th Rotary Lombardi Award at a banquet in downtown Houston on Wednesday. The award honors the nation's top lineman.
Orakpo became Texas' third winner of the award, following DT Tony DeGrate in 1984 and DT Kenneth Sims in 1981, who were present at the event.
"This means so much to me, especially being from Houston," Orakpo said. "To be in my hometown and have an achievement like this at the end of my college career in the place where it all started, I'm just speechless."
Orakpo was the 12th Longhorn finalist overall and the fifth in the last seven years, including OL Justin Blalock in 2006, DT Rod Wright in 2005, LB Derrick Johnson in 2004 and DE Cory Redding in 2002.
"It was great to be a finalist and have my name with (Justin) Blalock, Rod (Wright) and D.J. (Derrick Johnson), and then to be here with guys like (James) Laurinaitis, Rey Maualuga and Andre (Smith), it means a lot," Orakpo said. "Being able to bring this award back to Austin to my teammates and coaches is the icing on the cake. Without them, none of this would have happened. This is a team award and they earned it as much as me."
Earlier in the day, Orakpo was also named Texas' first winner of the Ted Hendricks Award, honoring the nation's top defensive end. On Monday, he won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, honoring the nation's top defensive player, in Charlotte, N.C. That followed his participation in fall commencement ceremonies at UT on Saturday.
Orakpo is also a finalist for the Lott Trophy, honoring the nation's top defensive IMPACT player and will attend a banquet in Newport Beach, Calif., on Sunday where the winner will be announced.
The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-America selection by the American Footabll Coaches Association, Orakpo has made 40 tackles (29 solo) and leads the team with 10.5 sacks, which is tied for sixth nationally, 18 TFL, which is tied for the 11th-most nationally, four forced fumbles, which is tied for the third-most nationally, and 27 pressures, despite being limited in two and a half games with a knee injury this season. He has twice been named the Lott Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week. In four games against Top 25 opponents this season, he has notched 16 tackles, three sacks, seven TFL, nine pressures and a forced fumble.??
For his career, Orakpo has tallied 130 tackles (91 solo), 21 sacks, 37 TFL, 59 pressures, six PBD, six forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 46 games (20 starts).
