Nate Irving, who missed the entire 2009 season after suffering multiple
injuries in a car accident, will start at middle linebacker for the
Wolfpack in 2010.
Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen,
end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10
yards to the left or right of the ball, or linebackers who set up no
farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage. The candidates
earned a place on the official watch list by earning All-American
honors, by being named to their respective all-conference first teams as
selected by the conference’s head coaches or by nomination sent to and
reviewed by the nominations committee.
In 2008, Irving set an NC State record for interceptions by a
linebacker with four. Although he battled injuries for much of that
season, missing almost four entire games, he was still an honorable
mention All-ACC performer and tied for third on the team with 84
tackles.