TUSCALOOSA | University of Alabama offensive linemen Antoine Caldwell and Andre Smith headlined the 2008 Outland Trophy Watch List that was released Tuesday by the Football Writers Association of America.

The Outland Trophy has been awarded to the best interior lineman in college football since 1946. The winner is selected by the FWAA's All-America Committee with input from the entire FWAA membership. The committee also selects the association's 25-man All-America team and picks the three Outland Trophy finalists along with the winner.

Caldwell is a three-year starter along the Crimson Tide's offensive front. He is a versatile lineman that has started 34 games at center, guard and tackle during his career. Caldwell was a co-captain for the Tide last season while earning his degree in human environmental sciences in less than three years.

Smith has started all 26 games at left tackle during his two-year career at Alabama. He garnered first-team All-SEC honors as a sophomore and earned the 2007 Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the SEC's top offensive lineman.

The Outland Trophy is named after the late John Outland, a lineman at Pennsylvania at the turn of the 20th century. Chris Samuels is the only winner from Alabama, capturing the 1999 Outland Trophy.

The winner will be announced on Dec. 11 in Orlando, Fla., on the ESPNU Home Depot College Football Awards Show.

Michael Thompson wins Golfweek honor TUSCALOOSA | For the second time since March, a University of Alabama golfer has been named Golfweek's Collegiate Player of the Week.

Michael Thompson got the nod on Tuesday.

Thompson led Alabama to its first Southeastern Conference team championship since 1979 and became its first medalist winner since 1952 when Alabama swept the SEC Championships on Sunday in St. Simons Island, Ga. It was Thompson's first individual victory at Alabama. He won four tournaments as a golfer at Tulane in 2004 and 2005.

Crimson Tide junior Matthew Swan was named Golfweek's Player of the Week on March 3 after he led Alabama to the team championship and claimed the individual championship of the Puerto Rico Classic.

Three UA athletes honored in classroom TUSCALOOSA | Three University of Alabama student-athletes were recently honored on campus for their work in the classroom. Freshman men's basketball player Justin Knox, sophomore women's basketball player Tamara Williams and sophomore sprinter Brandon Spradley were honored by the University of Alabama Black Faculty and Staff Association at Black Scholar's Day.

All undergraduate African American students with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher were honored, and the Tide trio was among the 650 students honored.

Knox is a Tuscaloosa native who played in 19 games this past season, averaging 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in Southeastern Conference play as a true freshman. The 6-foot-9 forward is a business major at Alabama and he was a National Honor Society member and the salutatorian of his class at Central High School.

Williams started in two of the 30 games for the Crimson Tide this past season. The Alabaster native averaged 2.1 points per game during SEC play. Williams was also named to the SEC Honor Roll.

Spradley started off his sophomore campaign by posting the top time for the Crimson Tide in the 60 meters with a mark of 6.93. The Mobile native was second on the squad in the indoor 200 meters with a time of 21.92, only behind All-American Michael Cooley.

Selma High's Carr signs with Shelton State SELMA | Selma High School's Courtney James Carr has signed a men's basketball scholarship with Shelton State Community College.

The 6-foot-6 guard/forward averaged 11 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, along with 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks for a team that went 26-6 and made it to the sub-regional round of the state playoffs Carr recorded four double-doubles as a senior. He shot 46 percent from the field, 55 percent from the free-throw line and 34 percent from 3-point range.

UWA pitcher Brittany McGee honored BIRMINGHAM | After a stellar pitching performance last week, West Alabama junior Brittany McGee was selected as the Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week.

The Demopolis native etched her name in the UWA softball record book last Wednesday, tossing the first perfect game in the 22-year history of the fast pitch program. She followed that with a 9-0 shutout of No. 12 Valdosta State on Saturday, scattering five hits and not allowing a walk. It marked the first time VSU was shut out in conference play this season.

McGee picked up her third win of the week against West Florida. She pitched a complete game, allowing just two earned runs. In the three starts, McGee had 33 ground outs and 12 fly ball outs. Opposing batters batted just .203 against her with an earned run average of 0.82 for the week.

Tiger shortstop is player of the week BIRMINGHAM | University of West Alabama shortstop Nick Wheeler has been named Gulf South Conference East Division Player of the Week.

Wheeler claimed his first career weekly award from the conference following a strong week. He recorded a hit in each game last week, with multiple RBIs in all but one game. The junior hit two home runs, two doubles, a triple and drove in 11 runs with a .556 average.

Wheeler becomes the fifth Tiger to receive weekly recognition from the GSC and it marks the seventh time a UWA baseball player has received a weekly honor.

The Tigers have secured a berth in the Gulf South Conference Tournament for the fifth consecutive season.

West Alabama hosts Stillman College in a doubleheader today beginning at 4 p.m.

Rimsa hits hole-in-one at Ol' Colony TUSCALOOSA | Rip Rimsa recently made a hole-in-one while playing golf at the Ol' Colony Golf Course.

Rimsa used a 6-iron to record the ace on the 165-yard No. 17 hole.

Bud Patton was the witness.

Judge refuses to reverse decision in Vick case MINNEAPOLIS | A federal judge denied on Tuesday the NFL's motion that he vacate his earlier ruling that allows suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick to keep $16.5 million in bonuses.

U.S. District Judge David Doty also declined the NFL's motion that he recuse himself from the case. The league had accused him of bias.

Doty had ruled in February that the Falcons would violate the NFL collective bargaining agreement if they tried to recover the roster bonus money Vick already received.