The 2011 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List is out. Alabama has three players on the list. Conference USA and the WAC both netted two selections. How about the Big East? Just one player.
That one player is West Virginia Senior cornerback Keith Tandy. Tandy is an "Iron Mountaineer", one of three players tasked to keep the team focused throughout the offseason and during season. Tandy also was an Iron Mountaineer last season.
As a Junior, Tandy started all 13 games for West Virginia. He led the Big East in interceptions with six and was tied for first in the Big East in passes defended. Tandy was also fifth on the Mountaineers in tackles with 57.
Tandy is also on the preseason watch lists for the Nagurski Award and the Bednarik Award. Both awards are awarded to the player their respective organizations consider to be the top defensive player in the country.