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Northern Illinois CB Vince Thompson makes preseason Bronko Nagurski Trophy 'watch list'
With ten pass interceptions and 16 deflections over the last two seasons, the 5-foot-10, 178-pound Thompson found himself in a good position once again. This time as one of 64 major-college performers on the preseason watch list for the prestigious Bronko Nagurski Trophy, an award presented annually since 1993 to the nation's top defensive player. "Great! This can be the start of a great senior year for Vince. He really had an exceptional season last year," said Huskie head coach Joe Novak. "And we expect him to build on that highly successful season from a year ago. He has really blossomed into a great playmaker, a real fine player for us. "Yes, Vince is usually in the right place at the right time because he works at it. He's got great football instincts because he spends the time studying film. He is a very intelligent player. All those interceptions and broken up passes are not by accident you know. It's work. Vince deserves this." Thompson (Chicago / St. Rita) opens the 2002 season as the No. 6 returning pass theft artist in National Colle-giate Athletic Association Division 1-A football. During 2001, he finished No. 13 in NCAA interceptions with 0.50 per game and wound up No. 19 in major-college '"passes defended" (17)---a combination of "picks" (five) and deflections (12). Among the Top 100 pas theft artists in the NCAA last autumn, Thompson ranked among an elite group of six national performers with two touchdown interception returns---(1) a 33-yarder vs. Sam Houston State and (2) a 32-yarder vs. Western Michigan. No. 17 led the Mid-American Conference in "picks" (five for 79 yards) and "passes defended", plus rated second in league deflections (12) and 45th overall in loop tackles (66) during 10 appearances. A First-Team All-MAC selection by the league coaches and Football News in 2001, Thompson tied for fifth in the Mid-Am Defensive Player of the Year balloting. He was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week with six stops, three deflections, one tackle for loss, and the 33-yard TD return vs. Sam Houston State. Against Central Michigan, Thompson tied a career-high with 10 hits. Thompson leads all active Northern Illinois players with the 10 career interceptions or five in each of the last two years---the most single-season "picks" by a Huskie since National Football League draft pick Brett Tucker (five in 1988). In the game vs. No. 31-ranked Illinois, Thompson was credited with seven stops, three deflections, and one tackle for loss. He heads into his senior year with 21 starts, 164 tackles, and 1,743 snaps in 31 career appearances. Three other MAC players made the preseason Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list---Western Michigan defensive lineman Anthony Allsbury, Marshall defensive back Chris Crocker, and Miami (OH) inside linebacker Terrell Jones.Fourteen Big Ten stalwarts were on the same list---including three players from Illinois, DB Christian Morton, LB Jerry Schumacher, and DB Eugene Wilson. Sponsored
by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the Football Writers Association of
America, the award is named after the former Hall of Fame Minnesota and
Chicago Bears star. The Nagurski Trophy candidates will be narrowed to
five in November and the winner will be selected on December 9. The 2001
recipient was Roy Williams, a junior DB at Oklahoma.
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