Nguyen Wins Lombardi Award

The smallest guy on the dais walked off with the big prize.

Linebacker Dat Nguyen, Texas A&M's career tackles leader despite his 5-foot-11, 221-pound size, was named winner Tuesday night of the 29th annual Lombardi Award as the nation's top collegiate lineman.

Nguyen beat Ohio State linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer (6-4, 265), Wisconsin tackle Aaron Gibson (6-7, 370) and Georgia tackle Matt Stinchcomb (6-6, 295) for the honor.

"You take all the positive adjectives used to describe a person and they all fit Dat Nguyen," Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum said. "What he has done in football and how he has handled the success is amazing."

Nguyen, the smallest of the finalists, had 517 career tackles with the Aggies, including 17 in last week's 36-33 upset of Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game.

"Dat plays the game at such a high level because of his desire and instincts," Slocum said. "He has an uncanny eye to know where the ball is going. He's not a player who has a good game this week and not next. He has great games every week."

Nguyen will play his final college game Jan. 1 against Katzenmoyer and Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl at New Orleans.

"It's an honor to be here and represent my school and my teammates," Nguyen said. "I don't like to be singled out. I came to A&M because of the Wrecking Crew defense. I didn't do this by myself."

Nguyen was disenchanted when he first arrived at A&M because he didn't get to play immediately. But once he got on the field, the Aggies knew they had a player.

"To be honest we didn't know how good he was," Slocum said. "We knew he was good because we gave him a scholarship but early that first year we put him in a game and figured that this guy is pretty good."

Nguyen has had to overcome more obstacles than his smallish frame.

Dat's parents fled Vietnam in 195 with his five brothers and sisters and Dat, the sixth child, on the way. Nguyen was born in a refugee camp in Arkansas before the family moved to Texas and Nguyen gave up soccer to play football.

"I do a lot of work with kids now, trying to give back because everyone was so helpful to my parents when they came to this country," Nguyen said. "I think that is what you are supposed to do."

Gibson, among the nation's biggest linemen, holds Wisconsin weight room records with a 745-pound squat.

Katzenmoyer was a finalist for the Lombardi last year as a sophomore. He's been a mainstay this season for the Buckeyes, who were ranked No. 1 most of the season until beaten by Michigan State.

Stinchcomb missed the dinner because he was in New York for the Hall of Fame dinner to accept an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. He carried a 3.94 grade-point average into his senior season.

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