DALLAS (FWAA) – The Football Writers Association of America has announced the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List for the 2005 season. Fifty standout players from around the country have been nominated for consideration in the preseason.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the best defensive player in college football, has been a staple of the FWAA's awards since 1993. It is sponsored by the Charlotte Touchdown Club, which has held the annual awards banquet since 1995.

The 2005 banquet is set for Monday, Dec. 5, at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, where five finalists will vie for the prize. Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson won the 2004 Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

The FWAA All-America Committee selects the Bronko Nagurski winner from the association's 11-man All-America defensive team in late November. Players may be added from the Bronko Nagurski Watch List during the course of the 2005 season.

For the fifth straight season, the FWAA will select Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week, beginning with games the week of Sept. 3 and running through the middle of November. Each national player of the week will be  added to the trophy's watch list throughout the season.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 900 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C. region. The club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is www.touchdownclub.com.

For more information on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, contact FWAA executive director Steve Richardson (972-713-6198 or tiger@fwaa.com).