Clayborn, Prater, Vandervelde honored

Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn is the Big Ten's defensive player of the week. That's back-to-back for Iowa. DT Mike Daniels earned the award last week.

Here's the blurb from the Big Ten:

Adrian Clayborn, Iowa

SR, DE, St. Louis, Mo./Webster Groves

Clayborn registered a game-high 10 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a sack, to help hold Penn State to a field goal in a 24-3 victory on Saturday. The senior defensive end's 10 tackles were two shy of a career high. His three tackles for loss pushed the Nittany Lion offense back 19 yards, including a 15-yard sack. Clayborn was part of a Hawkeye defense that limited PSU to only 54 rushing yards and allowed only three of 13 third-down conversions. Trailing 17-3 at halftime, Penn State took its opening drive of the third quarter to the one-yard line, only to be stopped short on third and fourth down to force a turnover. Clayborn earns weekly laurels for the third time in his career, including nabbing defensive honors on Oct. 25, 2009, and special teams accolades on Sept. 27, 2009.

LAST IOWA DEFENSIVE POW: DT Mike Daniels on Sept. 27, 2010.

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Clayborn and CB Shaun Prater were honored by that College Football Performance Award thingie.

Here's the release from Iowa:

TWO HAWKEYES HONORED

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Senior DE Adrian Clayborn and junior DB Shaun Prater have earned recognition from the College Football Performance Award for their play in Iowa's 24-3 win over Penn State. Both Clayborn and Prater earned honorable mention recognition for Player of the Week at their respective position.

Clayborn (6-4, 285) collected 10 tackles in the win over Penn State, including a quarterback sack for minus 15 yards and three tackles for loss. Iowa held Penn State to 54 net rushing yards and just three points while collecting its third straight win over the Nittany Lions.

Prater (5-11, 180) collected Iowa's only turnover vs. Penn State, returning his interception in the closing minutes 33 yards for his first career touchdown. The Omaha, NE native also collected four tackles and the interception is the second of his career against Penn State.

Iowa has not allowed a touchdown in its last two games and has not allowed a rushing touchdown this season.

The Hawkeyes currently rank second nationally in scoring defense (10.2) and rushing defense (63.2) and fourth in total defense (242.2).

The nationally ranked Hawkeyes moved to 15th in both the Associated Press and the USA Today coaches' poll after opening Big Ten Conference play with the win over Penn State. Iowa is idle this weekend and returns to action Oct. 16 at No. 17/18 Michigan (2:35 p.m. CT, ABC).

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I was slow on this, but from late last week, OL Julian Vandervelde was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. The award, formerly known as the Draddy Trophy, is given by the National Football Foundation to a premier scholar-athlete in college football.

Here's the release from UI sports info:

VANDERVELDE NAMED SCHOLAR-ATHLETE SEMI-FINALIST

IOWA CITY, IA – University of Iowa offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde has been named a semi-finalist for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy. The award, formerly known as the Draddy Trophy, is given by the National Football Foundation to a premier scholar-athlete in college football.

Selected as the best and brightest from the college gridiron, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the 121 semi-finalists for the award.

Vandervelde, a senior from Davenport, IA, was an academic district all-American for the second straight year last season. He has been a first team academic all-Big Ten pick the last three years. He is also a member of Iowa's Leadership Council. He is a three-year letterman who has captained the Hawkeyes in every game this year.

"This year's Campbell Trophy semi-finalists embody the National Football Foundation's mission of building leaders through football," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (1997 Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively.

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semi-finalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The trophy was renamed last fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal.

The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 15 finalists and announce the results via national press release on Thursday, Oct. 28. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000 and receive a 25-pound bronze trophy, will be announced live at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7 at the prestigious Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

Iowa linebacker Mike Klinkenborg was a finalist for the 2007 award.