SYRACUSE -- Syracuse University seniors Arthur Jones and Jim McKenzie are rated among the best collegiate football student-athletes in the country. A defensive tackle, Jones is on the national radar as one of the top collegiate football players. He is one of 40 collegiate football student-athletes on the 2009 Outland Trophy Award Watch List, one of 62 on the Bronko Nagurski Watch list and one of 55 on the Bednarik Award Watch List. McKenzie is one of 43 players on the watch list for the 2009 Rimington Award, presented annually to the nation’s best center.

The Outland Trophy is presented annually to the nation’s best interior lineman, while the Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. The Bednarik Award is presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America.

"You see both Arthur and Jim as national post-season award candidates because they battle every day,” Marrone said. “In Jim’s case, when you play against Arthur Jones, that's going to make you a better center. From Arthur’s perspective,  playing someone as tenacious as Jim makes him better because Jim McKenzie loves the game. In my opinion he plays it the way it should be played. Arthur Jones isn't going to have a free pass at every rep, Jim is going to go hard every single rep. I think that's why they are in the position they are."

Jones, who was named to the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List in March, earned2008 All-BIG EAST First Team honors. He ranks sixth on SU’s career tackles for loss record list (31.5), including 13.0 in 2008. His 126 career tackles is 13th on SU’s all-time list for tackles by a down lineman. In 2007, Jones ranked ninth nationally with 17.5 tackles for loss en route to earning second-team All-BIG EAST and ECAC All-Star honors. His 17.5 tackles for loss is the third-best single-season total in Syracuse history.

A two-year starter, McKenzie was instrumental in helping Curtis Brinkley record six 100-yard rushing games in first seven games of the 2008 season and earned Rivals.com BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honors in 2007. He is a 2008 ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA District I All-Academic Team selection and a two-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection.

Marrone has coached an Outland Trophy finalist, mentoring Craig Page when he was at Georgia Tech, and an Outland Trophy winner in New Orleans Saints Jammal Brown. Former Syracuse All-American defensive end Dwight Freeney was a finalist for the Nagurski and Bednarik Awards in 2001.

Courtesy: SU Athletics