Chichester Named to Mackey Award Watch List
July 06, 2011 | Football
July 6, 2011
BETHPAGE, N.Y. - The 2011 John Mackey Award preseason watch list has been released by the Nassau County Sports Commission and University of Louisville senior tight end Josh Chichester (West Chester, Ohio) has been named to the list. Given annually to the best collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The 2011 John Mackey winner will be presented live at the Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on December 8, 2011 at 6 pm EST on ESPNU.
Chichester, who played his first two seasons at wide receiver, enters his second season at tight end. Moving inside last fall, the Ohio native caught 22 passes for 317 yards, including five touchdowns, which was tied for tops on the team. He tallied a season-best four receptions for 66 yards in a win over Arkansas State and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass to help seal Louisville's 28-20 key road win over Syracuse.
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 ten NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark ('01) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham ('02), Kellen Winslow II ('03) of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, two-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller ('04) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis ('05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, 2008 Super Bowl Champion Matt Spaeth ('06), Fred Davis ('07) of the Washington Redskins, Chase Coffman ('08) of the Cincinnati Bengals, Aaron Hernandez ('09) of the New England Patriots and the 2010 John Mackey Award recipient D.J. Williams of the Green Bay Packers.
Chichester and the rest of the Cardinals report for the start of preseason camp Wednesday, August 3. Louisville opens preseason practice Thursday, August 4.
