July 13, 2005
Texas A&M senior Jaxson Appel is one of three safeties in the Big 12 Conference to be included on the Jim Thorpe Award 2005 Pre-Season "Watch List" which was released recently by the Jim Thorpe Association.
The Thorpe Award is presented annually to the nation's best college football defensive back.
Appel, a preseason first-team All-America selection, was also named to the watch list last season. He is also on the watch list for the 2005 Chuck Bednarik Defensive Player of the Year Award.
An All-Big 12 selection by The Associated Press last season, Appel needs nine tackles to become the school's all-time tackles leader for a defensive back. Appel has 289 stops and could join former All-Americans Dat Nguyen and Ed Simioni as A&M's only three-time tackle leaders.
Appel, from Friendswood, Texas, has eight career interceptions as a three-year starter for the Aggies. He has started in 33 games including 25 straight.
Appel led the Aggies in 2004 with 85 tackles as the team posted a 7-5 record and appeared in the SBC Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day.
The Thorpe Award list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists the first Monday in November and then to three finalists the Monday before Thanksgiving. The winner will be announced on ESPN's College Football Awards Show at Walt Disney World on Dec. 8.
The watch list is derived through a point system based on All-America teams and honorable mentions published in at least six preseason football magazines. A candidate must be listed as a third-team All-American in at least one publication or as a fourth team or honorable mention in at least three of the publications.
Other Big 12 safeties on the list are Nebraska's Daniel Bullocks and Baylor's Maurice Lane. Conference cornerbacks on the list are Kansas' Charles Gordon, Texas' Cedric Griffin and Michael Huff.
A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal is on the Maxwell Award watch list, while offensive lineman Chris Yoder was selected on the spring watch list for the Rimington Award. The Rimington Award's fall watch list will be released approximately two weeks before the first game.
The Aggies will officially report to campus on August 8 and will begin training camp on Aug. 9. A&M will open the 2005 season at Clemson on Sept. 3 in a game being televised by ABC Sports at 7 p.m.
Season tickets for the upcoming season are available for as little as $200 by contacting the Athletic Ticket Office at 979-845-2311 or by visiting AggieAthletics.com. The Aggies' home opener will be against SMU on Sept. 17 at Kyle Field at 11:30 a.m.
Aggies on 2005 Award Watch Lists
Player Pos. Cl-Exp. Award
Jaxson Appel S Sr-3L Jim Thorpe Award
Jaxson Appel S Sr-3L Chuck Bednarik Defensive Player of the Year Award
Reggie McNeal QB Sr-3L Maxwell Award
Chris Yoder OL So-1L Rimington Award (spring)