June 22, 2010
IOWA CITY, IA – – Pre-season honors and expectations continue to mount for the 2010 Iowa football team. The most recent honors involve members of the Hawkeye defensive unit, expected to be one of the nation’s best.
Senior defensive tackle Karl Klug has been named to the prestigious 2010 Outland Trophy Watch List. Klug, a 6-4, 270-pounder from Caledonia, MN, was a 2009 first-team all-Big Ten choice by Sporting News. He started all 13 games for the Hawkeyes last season and totaled 65 tackles. He had 13 tackles for loss (-40 yards) and four quarterback sacks.
The Outland Trophy goes to the top down lineman (offensive and defensive tackles, offensive guards and centers). Three former Hawkeyes have previously won the Outland Trophy. They are Calvin Jones (1955), Alex Karras (1957) and Robert Gallery (2003).
Defensive end Adrian Clayborn and defensive back Tyler Sash have been named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given annually to the nation’s top defensive player.
Clayborn has been named to virtually every pre-season all-America team. He was today named to the Sporting News first pre-season all-America team. The 6-4, 285 senior from St. Louis, MO, was named 2009 Defensive Performer of the Year by the College Football Performance Award group. He was previously named to the 2010 Playboy all-America team. He was MVP in Iowa’s win over Georgia Tech in the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl. He had 70 tackles last season and was a first team all-Big Ten choice.
Sash is a 6-1, 210 pound junior safety from Oskaloosa. He has started 21 straight games and has 138 career tackles. He was named to the AP third all-America team last year. He was also a first team all-Big Ten choice last season. Sash has totaled 350 return yards (an Iowa record) on 11 career interceptions. Sash was also today named to the Sporting News second pre-season all-America squad. Both Sash and Clayborn are also on the 2010 Lott Trophy watch list.
And, finally, Blue Ribbon Magazine, a football publication, has ranked the Hawkeyes eighth in its pre-season rankings. The Hawkeyes have been ranked as high as fifth nationally (Sports Illustrated) and are in the top 20 of virtually every pre-season ranking.