Heisman 2009

LINCOLN — Look out New York, here comes King Ndamukong.

Nebraska’s monster of a defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh, is headed to Times Square as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding college football player.

Suh remains among five in contention, announced today, for the sport’s most prestigious award.

It will be awarded Saturday night at the Nokia Theatre and televised live on ESPN.

His inclusion ranks as the biggest honor yet for Suh, who is up for numerous awards and will travel around the nation this week on the banquet circuit.

Other Heisman finalists include running backs Toby Gerhart of Stanford and Mark Ingram of Alabama and quarterbacks Colt McCoy of Texas and Tim Tebow of Florida.

Suh, vying to become the first defensive lineman ever to win the Heisman, joins 19 defenders before him to finish among the top five in the voting. No defensive player has earned an invitation to New York since Charles Woodson won the Heisman in 1997.

Woodson, a cornerback from Michigan, is the only defender to win.

More than 900 voters, including former winners, select the recipient.

Ex-Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch, who won the Heisman in 2001, voted for Suh. Crouch, the most recent of three former Huskers to win, said he would applaud the crowning of Suh.

“I think he’s incredible,” Crouch said. “I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t win. He’s that fun to watch. He’s that good, as far as what he means to his team.

“I watched him from many angles this year — on the sideline, in the stadium and on TV. Anytime I watched, he dominated.”

Suh punctuated this season with his most dominant game at Nebraska. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior from Portland, Ore., sacked McCoy 4½ times and collected 12 tackles as Texas kicked a last-second field goal to beat the heavy-underdog Huskers 13-12 Saturday night at the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas.

The defeat relegated Suh and 20th-ranked Nebraska to the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl in San Diego, but it did nothing to douse the big man’s Heisman candidacy.

Just the opposite, in fact. A groundswell of support erupted after the game, prompting national commentators and news media to label Suh as the nation’s best player — and worthy of the Heisman.

Rodgers, the 1971 winner from Nebraska as a wingback, can’t argue.

“He’s so dominant that he takes over a game in the way an offensive player does,” Rodgers said. “He keeps us in games. He can make that much of a difference in every area.”

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