Nebraska natives Spencer Long and Baker Steinkuhler were each named to the preseason watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award on Monday. The honor comes four days after both players were named to the Outland Trophy watch list.

A native of Elkhorn, Neb., Long started every game last season as a sophomore. A former walk-on, he helped Nebraska rank 15th nationally in rushing, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media and honorable-mention accolades from the league’s coaches.

Steinkuhler, a Lincoln native, enters his third season as a starter on the defensive line this fall. As a junior in 2011, Steinkuhler started every game and totaled 40 tackles, including a pair of sacks. He earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten acoolades in 2011, one season after garnering honorable-mention All-Big 12 recognition in 2010.

The Lombardi Award is presented annually to the nation’s top lineman. Five Huskers have won the award, including offensive guard Dean Steinkuhler (1983), Baker’s father. Nebraska’s most recent Lombardi Award winner was defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in 2009.

Courtesy: NU Media Relations