H.B. Blades was one of 54 players named to the Lombardi Award Watch list. The Lombardi Award is eligible to “down linemen and defensive players who line up within five yards of the football.”
According to the press release on the watch list, this is the preliminary list assembled based on those who received accolades in the post 2004 season. In Blades’ case, being named to the 1st team All-Big East. Additional names will be added to the watch list in August.
The first, last and only Pitt player to win this award was, of course, Hugh Green in 1980.