Rack Named To John Mackey Award Watch List

Senior from Maspeth, NY among 22 trying to earn nation’s top tight end award

Jesse Rack

BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo senior tight end Jesse Rack has been named as one of 22 student-athletes from across the country to the 2009 John Mackey Award Midseason Watch List released today by the Nassau County Sports Commission.

Rack, a senior from Maspeth, NY, has accumulated 15 catches and five touchdowns thus far on the season and is a dominant blocker at his position. Rack is the only Mid-American Conference player named to the 22-man watch list and one of only four players that do not hail from BCS conference teams.

Rack has had a tremendous start to his senior season. The 6-3, 242-pounder has caught 15 passes for 194 yards (12.4 ypc) and ranks second on the team with a career-best five touchdown catches. Rack caught two touchdown passes versus both UCF and Gardner-Webb and also had a scoring strike against Pittsburgh. He has also helped UB’s running game amass over 140 yards per game.

The John Mackey Award presented since 2000, lists eight NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark (‘01) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham (‘02) of the Denver Broncos, Kellen Winslow II (‘03) of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, two-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller (‘04) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis (‘05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Matt Spaeth (‘06) of the of the 2008 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Fred Davis (‘07) of the Washington Redskins and the 2008 John Mackey Award recipient Chase Coffman of the Cincinnati Bengals.

The John Mackey Award midseason watch list is an update from the preseason watch list. This list is meant to draw attention to tight ends in contention for the annual award based on their performance in the first half of the active season. The 2009 John Mackey Award Midseason Watch List:

PLAYER
George Bryan,SO, NC State
Dorin Dickerson, SR, Pittsburgh
Ed Dickson, SR, Oregon
Charlie Gantt, JR, Michigan State
Riar Geer, SR, Colorado
Garrett Graham, SR, Wisconsin
Ladarius Green, SO, Louisiana-Lafayette
Aaron Hernandez, JR, Florida
Jeron Mastrud, SR, Kansas St
Anthony McCoy, SR, USC
Mike McNeil, JR, Nebraska
Kavario Middleton, SO, Washington
Tony Moeaki, SR, Iowa
Colin Peek, SR, Alabama
Dennis Pitta, SR, BYU
Andrew Quarless, JR, Penn St
Jesse Rack, SR, Buffalo
Kyle Rudolph , SO, Notre Dame
Weslye Saunders, JR, South Carolina
Cody Slate, JR, Marshall
Luke Stocker, JR, Tennessee
DJ Williams, JR, Arkansas