Clayborn Named Lombardi Award Semifinalist

Oct. 29, 2010

• Cast Your O’Brien Quarterback Award (Begins Sept. 7)
• Vote for R. Stanzi as a Premier Player
• 2010 Hawkeye Football Fall Camp Central
• 2010 UI Football Media Fact Book
• 2010 UI Football Media Guide
• 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
• Take the Hawkeyes with You: Iowa Podcasts
• Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
• gohawks.com
• Iowa Football wallpaper

IOWA CITY, Iowa – – University of Iowa senior defensive end Adrian Clayborn has been named one of 12 semifinal candidates for the 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award. The 41st Lombardi Award will be presented Dec. 8 in Houston, Tex.

Clayborn (6-4, 285) is a native of St. Louis, MO (Webster Groves HS) who has started 31 games in his Hawkeye career, including the last 24 straight. In seven games this season he has collected 33 tackles, including six tackles for loss and 2.5 quarterback sacks. He also has three QB pressures and blocked a field goal attempt in Iowa’s 38-28 win at Michigan.

Clayborn collected 10 tackles in Iowa’s win over Penn State, earning recognition as the Big Ten Conference defensive Player of the Week. He also had a quarterback sack for minus 15 yards and three tackles for loss against the Nittany Lions. He added five tackles and the seventh forced fumble of his career in Iowa’s most recent outing against Wisconsin.

Along with the Lombardi Award, Clayborn was named to preseason Watch Lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Ted Hendricks Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Award. He was a preseason first team all-America selection by Sports Illustrated, Sporting News and Playboy magazines.

As a junior in 2009 Clayborn was the Most Valuable Player in Iowa’s 24-14 win over ACC champion Georgia Tech in the FedEx Orange Bowl and was named national Defensive Performer of the Year by College Football Performance Awards. He earned third team all-America honors and was a first team all-Big Ten