Athletics

Barkley named Lombardi finalist

Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is among seven finalists for the 2017 Lombardi Award. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. -- Junior running back Saquon Barkley is among the seven finalists for the 2017 Lombardi Award. Presented by the Houston-based Lombardi Foundation, the Lombardi Award, will be presented to an NCAA Division I player, regardless of position, based on performance, leadership, character and resiliency. 

The Lombardi Award presentation will take place on Saturday, Jan. 27, in Houston at Lone Star College and will be televised locally on ABC’s KTRK and nationally on ESPN3. At that time, the new Lombardi Award trophy, crafted by renowned sculptor Edd Hayes, will be unveiled. Barkley is looking to join Bruce Clark and Carl Nassib as Penn Staters to win the award. 

Barkley was unanimously selected to the 2017 NCAA Consensus All-America team, becoming the 42nd student-athlete in program history to earn the honor. He also finished his career second on Penn State’s career rushing yards list. 

Barkley collected several honors this season, winning the Paul Hornung Award for college football’s most versatile player and dominating the Big Ten major awards, winning 2017 Graham-George Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, 2017 Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year and 2017 Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year – as well as winning the Chicago Tribune Silver Football for the second-straight year for the conference’s best player. The Coplay, Pennsylvania, native also finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and became the 100th first-team All-American in Penn State history.

Last Updated January 23, 2018