Michigan State’s Percy Snow Is Winner of Lombardi Award

Michigan State linebacker Percy Snow earned his second honor of the week Thursday night when he was given the Lombardi Award as the nation’s top collegiate lineman.

Snow, who holds the school record of 164 tackles in a season, on Tuesday won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker.

Snow, 6-feet-3 and 240 pounds, beat out Colorado linebacker Kanavis McGhee and two defensive linemen, USC tackle Tim Ryan and Notre Dame nose guard Chris Zorich. Snow and Ryan are seniors, McGhee and Zorich juniors.

The award is a memorial to Vince Lombardi, former coach of the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins, who died of cancer in 1970. The annual award dinner benefits the American Cancer Society.

Snow has 464 career tackles, the second Spartan to go over 400.

“I started out playing football just wanting to be successful,” Snow said. “I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I recognized that I had some talent and I just tried to make the best of it.”

Snow has 163 tackles this season, one short of the school record he set last year. He also has three interceptions and two blocked field goals.

Michigan plays Hawaii in the Aloha Bowl at Honolulu on Christmas Day.

McGhee teamed with fellow outside linebacker Alfred Williams in leading the Buffaloes to an 11-0 record. He has 199 tackles and 10 sacks in his career.

Ryan recorded 19 sacks as USC won the Pacific 10 title. He also had 96 tackles, three forced fumbles and one recovered fumble.

Zorich was a key to an Irish defense that allowed 15 points a game en route to an 11-1 record.

Auburn’s Tracy Rocker won the award last year.