Penn State’s Carl Nassib Wins Lombardi Award

Carl Nassib started his college football career as a Penn State walk-on. He’s ending it as the best defensive end in college football.

On Wednesday night, Nassib was named the winner of the 2015 Lombardi Award, which is named for the legendary coach Vince Lombardi. It is awarded annually to the best lineman or linebacker in college football and is primarily composed of a granite block; during his playing career, Lombardi was a member of a dominant offensive line at Fordham University known as the the Seven Blocks of Granite.

This season, the 6’7″, 270-pound Nassib led the NCAA in sacks with 15.5 this season. The senior also made 46 total tackles, 19.5 of them for losses, and forced a the most fumbles in the country with six.

Notable past winners of the Lombardi include Randy White, Warren Sapp, Orlando Pace, Julius Peppers, Ndamukong Suh and Luke Kuechly.

Photo: Chris Laviano #5 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights drops back to pass in the first quarter while under pressure from Carl Nassib #95 of the Penn State Nittany Lions during the game on September 19, 2015 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)