Three former Florida high school football athletes, including two from Marion County, found their names gracing the 2016 watch list of the John Mackey Award this morning.
The John Mackey Award, which has been presented annually since 2000, is awarded to the nation’s most outstanding Tight End by Friends of John Mackey. The award is named after John Mackey, an NFL Hall of Fame tight end.
Former Dwyer and Florida State tight end Nick O’Leary has been the only winner of the John Mackey Award from Florida. O’Leary currently plays for the Buffalo Bills.
Here are the athletes from Florida that made the watch list.
Position, Name, College, High School
• TE Elkanah Dillon, South Florida, Ocala Vanguard
• TE Jordan Leggett, Clemson, Navarre
• TE Jonnu Smith, Florida International, West Port
Award semifinalists will be announced on November 14, while finalists will be announced on November 22 with the award winner being presented on December 8 on The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
![Miami Northwestern Head Coach Teddy Bridgewater and QB Leon Strawder huddle up the rest of the Bulls offense during a time out during the recent 2024 FHSAA Class 3A State Championship. Strawder was among three athletes that stood out in the 2024 FHSAA Class 3A State Championship Game on Sat. Dec. 14, 2024, at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami [Joshua Wilson/FloridaHSFootball.com]](https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cover-3-Class-3A-State-Championship-120x86.jpg)
![Winston Watkins Jr. (right) of Venice was among three athletes that stood out in the 2024 FHSAA Class 7A State Championship Game on Sat. Dec. 14, 2024, at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami [Joshua Wilson/FloridaHSFootball.com]](https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cover-3-Class-7A-State-Championship-120x86.jpg)
![RB Byron Louis of American Heritage (Plantation) was among three athletes that stood out in the 2024 FHSAA Class 4A State Championship Game on Fri. Dec. 13, 2024, at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami [Joshua Wilson/FloridaHSFootball.com]](https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cover-3-Class-4A-State-Championship-120x86.jpg)
![QB Mason Mallory was among three athletes that stood out in the 2024 FHSAA Class 6A State Championship Game on Fri. Dec. 13, 2024, at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami [Joshua Wilson/FloridaHSFootball.com]](https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cover-3-Class-6A-State-Championship-120x86.jpg)
![RB Cedric Washington for St. Thomas Aquinas was among three athletes that stood out in the 2024 FHSAA Class 5A State Championship Game on Thu. Dec. 12, 2024 at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami [Joshua Wilson/FloridaHSFootball.com]](https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cover-3-Featured-Class-5A-State-Championship-Game-120x86.jpg)
![Miami Northwestern head coach Teddy Bridgewater hoists up the 2024 Class 3A State Championship trophy after the Bulls defeated Raines (Jacksonville), 41-0 on Sat. Dec. 14, 2024 at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Fla. [Joshua Wilson/FloridaHSFootball.com]](https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Northwestern-vs.-Raines-3A-recap-120x86.jpg)
