Idaho LB on Lombardi Award list

MOSCOW — University of Idaho senior linebacker Marc Millan, the Vandals’ leading tackler for the past two seasons, is among 115 players named to the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List.

The award is given annually to down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball; or linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage. The candidates earned a place on the preliminary Watch List by earning All-American honors, being named to their respective all-conference teams or receiving 2015 pre-season honors.

“Marc’s biggest asset,” coach Paul Petrino said, “is his motor. He plays 100 miles an hour; always gives great effort. He has a good nose for the football - he gets to the ball and makes plays.”

Millan has 192 total tackles in two seasons as a Vandal. Of those 192, 141 are solo stops - which ranks third among active career average-per-game leaders. He ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference last year in both solo tackles and total tackles per game. Nationally, he was 24th in solo stops and 33rd in total tackles.

Millan joined the Vandals in 2013 from Santa Ana College. He had 90 tackles his first season and 102 last year. He also led Idaho in tackles for loss in 2014 with 15.5 for a total 36 yards in losses. He is a native of Mission Viejo, Calif., and a graduate of Mission Viejo High School.