U-M Football News and Notes

The Ted Hendricks Foundation announced that Wolverine senior defensive end and Crockett Technical High School alum Brandon Graham is one of 30 preseason candidates for the Ted Hendricks Award for the second year in a row. The award is presented annually to the nation's top player at the defensive end position.
Graham is one of seven Big Ten Conference players on the watch list which includes Trevor Anderson of Michigan State, Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton of Indiana, Doug Pilcher of Illinois, Lawrence Wilson of Ohio State and Corey Wootton of Northwestern.

Wolverine fifth-year senior punter and native of Twinsburg, OH  Zoltan Mesko has been named to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, which is awarded to the country’s top punter,  for the third straight season. Mesko is one of nine players on the 2009 preseason watch list. Mesko was a semifinalist for the award last season.

Wolverine and Richmond, VA native Brandon Miner was announced as one of the three Big Ten Conference running backs named to the watch list for the 2009 Doak Walker Award, which is awarded to the nation’s best running back. John Clay of Wisconsin and Dan Herron of Ohio State round out the Big Ten tailback son the watch list.

Finally, for those fans who are counting down the hours until the 2009 season gets under way, MGoBlue.com is running a new video each day counting down the days until the opening kick off on September 5 against Western Michigan.