HOUSTON, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs was honored Wednesday night with the Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman.
Suggs, who set an NCAA record with 22 sacks this season, was selected over Maryland linebacker E.J. Henderson, Oklahoma defensive tackle Tommie Harris, and defensive end Cory Redding of Texas. The award honors the top lineman or linebacker in Division I football.
The announcement was made on the field at Reliant Stadium, the home of the NFL's Houston Texans and site of last week's Big 12 Conference championship game. Former President George Bush served as honorary chairman.
Suggs accepted the award after breaking the NCAA single-season sack record Syracuse's Dwight Freeney set last season by five. He also established a school mark for career sacks with 42 and has one game left, against Kansas State in the Holiday Bowl.
Suggs, a high school running back who switched to defense as a freshman at Arizona State, is the first Sun Devil to win the award, and the first player from the Pac-10 to win it since Steve Emtman of Washington in 1991.
On Monday, Suggs was named the winner of the Nagurski Award, which recognizes the nation's top defensive player. He was selected in a vote of more than 400 members of the Rotary Lombardi Selection Committee, which is comprised of all Division I head coaches, a selection of sportswriters and broadcasters from around the country, and the 30 living past winners of the award.
Henderson, who sparked a remarkable turnaround by 19th-ranked Maryland, was looking to become the third straight ACC player to receive the award, following Jamal Reynolds of Florida State (2000) and Julius Peppers of North Carolina.
Henderson helped the Terrapins win nine of their last 10 games, topping the century mark in tackles for the third straight season.
Harris, facing constant double-teaming, was trying to become the first Sooner to win the award since Tony Casillas in 1985.
Redding had 25 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks in his last five games.
