July 29, 2009

Nassau County Sports Commission

MANHASSET, N.Y.--Arizona junior tight end Rob Gronkowski has been named to the 2009 John Mackey Award watch list, released today by the Nassau County Sports Commission.

He is one of 30 top players at the position to be accorded early candidacy including four others from the Pac-10 -- Ed Dickson of Oregon, Anthony McCoy of USC, and Ryan Moya and Logan Paulsen of UCLA.

Given annually to the best collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The Mackey winner will be announced on Dec. 10. NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.

Gronkowski is the returning first-team All-Pac-10 tight end and was a third-team Associated Press All-America selection after his sophomore year. His candidacy for the Mackey Award was expected entering thi season. He twice won John Mackey Tight End of the Week honors last year.

The 6-foot-6, 270-pounder from Amherst, N.Y., had 47 catches and 10 scores during the year and enters his third year in the program as the single-game, single-season and career UA leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns for a tight end.

The John Mackey Award presented since 2000, lists eight NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark ('01) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham ('02) of the Denver Broncos, Kellen Winslow II ('03) of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, two-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller ('04) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis ('05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Matt Spaeth ('06) of the of the 2008 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Fred Davis ('07) of the Washington Redskins and the 2008 John Mackey Award recipient Chase Coffman of the Cincinnati Bengals.

2009 John Mackey Award Watch List