MANHASSET, N.Y. – The 2009 John Mackey Award watch list has been released by the Nassau County Sports Commission.

Given annually to the best collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee and the 2009 John Mackey winner will be announced on December 10, 2009.

NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.

The John Mackey Award presented since 2000, lists eight NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark (’01) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham (’02) of the Denver Broncos, Kellen Winslow II (’03) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, two-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller (’04) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis (’05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Matt Spaeth (’06) of the 2008 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Fred Davis (’07) of the Washington Redskins and the 2008 John Mackey Award recipient Chase Coffman of the Cincinnati Bengals.

2009 John Mackey Award Watch List
Jeffrey Anderson, Jr. UAB
Jake Ballard, Sr. Ohio State
Greg Boone, Sr. Virginia Tech
Nate Byham, Sr. Pittsburgh
Jeff Cottam, Sr. Tennessee
Ed Dickson, Sr. Oregon
Richard Dickson, Sr. LSU
TC Drake, Sr. Kentucky
Charlie Gantt, Jr. Mich State
Riar Geer, Sr. Colorado
Garrett Graham, Sr. Wisconsin
Jermaine Gresham, Sr. Oklahoma
Rob Gronkowski, Jr. Arizona
Aaron Hernandez, Jr. Florida
Mike Hoomanawanui, Sr. Illinios
Blaine Irby, Jr. Texas
Jeron Mastrud, Sr. Kansas St
Anthony McCoy, Sr. USC
Mike McNeil, Sr. Iowa
Tony Moeaki, Jr. Nebraska
Ryan Moya,  Sr. UCLA
Logan Paulsen, Sr. UCLA
Dennis Pitta, Sr. BYU
Andrew Quarless,  Jr. Penn St
Kyle Rudolph, Soph. Notre Dame
Weslye Saunders, Jr. South Carolina
Cody Slate, Jr. Marshall
Tommy Trott, Sr. Auburn
DJ Williams, Jr. Arkansas
Ben Wooster, Sr. Wake Forest