Cornelius Douglas Named Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week
CLEVELAND, Ohio – After recording two key interceptions for Texas Tech in their 24-13 road win over Iowa State, senior cornerback Cornelius Douglas (Lawton, Okla.) has been named the Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week.
Douglas returned to the lineup after missing a game with injury and recorded three tackles along with his two picks. Douglas ran his last interception back 40 yards to give the Tech offense the ball on the Iowa State 9-yard line and helped set up their game-clinching touchdown.
Honorable Mention Players for Week Five:
Chip Thompson, East Carolina, Junior Safety – Thompson tallied eight tackles, netted two fourth quarter interceptions and recorded another pass breakup in East Carolina’s 28-18 win over UTEP. He halted a potential Miner scoring drive at the ECU 18-yard line by picking off a pass with 11:16 remaining before adding another interception at the UTEP 45-yard line and returning it 22 yards to set up a touchdown with 4:54 left.
Ricardo Allen, Purdue, Junior Cornerback - Allen totaled eight tackles, a tackle for loss and had an interception return for a touchdown in Purdue’s 51-41 win over Marshall. Allen’s 39-yard pick-six in the second quarter allowed him to become Purdue’s all-time leader with four interceptions returned for touchdowns (tied for most among FBS active players).
Sanders Commings, Georgia, Senior Cornerback – Commings tallied five tackles (four solos) and had a pair of interceptions in the final six minutes of the game to help Georgia defeat Tennessee, 51-44. His first pick was at the UGA 36-yard line at the six-minute mark and his second preserved the UGA win with seven seconds left in the game.
Phillip Thomas, Fresno State, Senior Safety – Thomas recorded four tackles and two key interceptions in Fresno State’s 52-40 win over San Diego State. Both interceptions came in the second half with Fresno holding on to a single digit lead. Thomas now leads the country with five interceptions.
About the Jim Thorpe Award:
The Thorpe Award is named after history’s greatest athlete, Jim Thorpe, and is presented by the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City. Thorpe excelled at every sport in which he competed, including football at which he played on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The 2012 Olympics mark the 100-year anniversary of Thorpe winning gold in the decathlon and pentathlon at the Stockholm Olympics.
The candidates for the award are selected by a “screening committee” of Jim Thorpe Association members who follow several players throughout the season, watching games and researching information sources to grade Thorpe Award candidates on the basis of performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The committee then narrows the field to three finalists and the names of these finalists are submitted to a national panel of about 50 sports writers, sportscasters, coaches and former players who vote to determine the winner.
The Thorpe Award winner is selected from three finalists and will be announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 6, 2012 on ESPN.
The Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, www.NCFAA.org.
Each week, Phil Steele will be overlooking the candidates issued by the school, the conference and distinguished committee members. After including his own personal input, the winner will be announced every Wednesday at jimthorpeassoc.org and PhilSteele.com.
