PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty candidates, including two finalists from 2008, were named Monday to The Sports Network's Buck Buchanan Award ballot.

That ballot, along with listings for the Walter Payton and Eddie Robinson awards, were released and distributed to voters on Monday. Voting will be conducted this week and winners will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 17 during the 23rd annual Sports Network awards dinner at the Marriott Hotel

in Chattanooga, TN, the night before the NCAA Division I Football Championship game.

Central Arkansas defensive end Larry Hart and Appalachian State free safety Mark LeGree are the only returning players from last year's ballot. LeGree finished third and Hart was seventh last season.

The pair join 18 other players on the ballot for the Buchanan Award, including two newcomers to the final watch list, defensive end Tim Kukucka of Villanova and defensive tackle Martin Parker of Richmond.

The list includes nine other defensive ends besides Hart: Christian Anthony of Grambling, Danny Batten of South Dakota State, Dane Fletcher of Montana State, Tim Knicky of Stephen F. Austin, Austen Lane of Murray State, Arthur Moats of James Madison, Jeremy Maddox of Alabama A&M, James Ruffin of Northern Iowa and Adrian Tracy of William & Mary.

Linebackers on the ballot are Brandin Jordan of Southern Illinois, J.C. Sherritt of Eastern Washington, while Mychal Savage of Youngstown State joins Parker as the only defensive tackles.

There are also four defensive backs joining LeGree among the finalists: cornerback Josh Morris of Weber State, free safeties Charles Graves of Delaware and Terrell Whitehead of Norfolk State and strong safety Jeromy Miles of Massachusetts.

The winner of the 15th Buck Buchanan Award, symbolic of the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), will be announced at the annual Sports Network Awards banquet on Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, TN at the Marriott Hotel. The Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top player in FCS, and the Eddie Robinson Award, which is bestowed upon the top coach, will also

be awarded on the eve of the NCAA Division I football championship game.

The Buck Buchanan Award was established in 1995 by The Sports Network. Past winners of the honor include current NFL standouts such as Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (2003, Idaho State), Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rashean Mathis (2002, Bethune-Cookman), along with former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl linebacker Dexter Coakley (1995-96, Appalachian State).

SOURCE The Sports Network

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