The Jim Thorpe Association announced 15 semifinalists for the 2011 Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football.
Mississippi State's Johnthan Banks was among those named to the list. The SEC leads the list with 7 nomintations. Here is the full list:
- Antonio Allen, South Carolina
- David Amerson, North Carolina State
- Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State
- Mark Barron, Alabama
- Brandon Boykin, Georgia
- Brodrick Brown, Oklahoma State
- Morris Claiborne, LSU
- Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt
- Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech
- Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma
- Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
- Nigel Malone, Kansas State
- Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State
- T.J. McDonald, USC
- Chase Minnifield, Virginia
The presentation of the Thorpe Award will be featured on The Home Depot College Football Awards live on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. The show, hosted by ESPN's Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard will feature the live presentation of nine player awards, along with the recipients of Disney's Spirit Award; The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, the NCFAA (National College Football Awards Association) Contributions to College Football Award; and student-athletes selected to the Walter Camp All-America Team. Fans can visit the show's dedicated Web site at www.espncollegefootballawards.com to find the latest college football awards news, including show details, previous winners, fan voting, a photo gallery and video highlights.