Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Names 2018 Preseason Watch List

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Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Names 2018 Preseason Watch List

Lukas Denis among the 35 players on the initial watch list for the nation’s top DB

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame has released the 2018 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason watch list and Boston College senior defensive back Lukas Denis was named to the list of candidates.

This list includes 35 of the nation’s best defensive backs, representing 11 conferences. The preseason watch list is selected by a screening committee who compiles a list of 30-50 players. This list is not final, and players who have outstanding seasons are added as the season progresses.

Denis was named a Preseason All-American by The Sporting News, Phil Steele and Athlon going into the 2018 season while also being named to the watch list for the Bednarik Award. The Everett, Mass., native was a Walter Camp Foundation All-American (second team) in 2017 as he tied for second nationally with seven interceptions. An All-ACC second-team selection, Denis was a key member of a BC defense that ranked 12^th nationally in interceptions and third in pass efficiency defense.

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award annually recognizes the best defensive back in college football. The award is based on performance on the field, athletic ability, and character. As such, it is considered one of the most coveted awards in college football. The award recipient is selected by the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, which boasts members of the NCFAA, an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, former Paycom Jim Thorpe Award recipients, and sportswriters and college football journalists throughout the country.

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award was established in 1986 and is named after the greatest all-around athlete in history, Jim Thorpe. As a native Oklahoman, Thorpe excelled not only as a running back, passer and kicker on the offensive side of the ball, but also stood out as a defensive back. In addition to his legendary performance on the football field, Thorpe played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon. Paycom Software, Inc. (“Paycom”) (NYSE: PAYC), a leading provider of comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management software, and the Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF) jointly announced in May 2017, an exclusive sponsorship of the Jim Thorpe Award. As such, the accolade is called the “Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.”

The 2018 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award winner is selected from three finalists and will be announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards Presented by Gildan on Thursday, December 6, 2018, on ESPN. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award commemorative banquet will be held on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, in Oklahoma City.