Houston ? Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk won the Rotary Lombardi Award as the nation’s top college lineman or linebacker Wednesday night, becoming the fifth Buckeyes player to receive the honor.

The other three finalists were Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil, Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny and Texas defensive tackle Rod Wright.

“Anyone who’s up for any kind of award, it’s a reflection of the team and the guys around them,” said Hawk, Ohio State’s leading tackler for three straight seasons. “A lot of people don’t realize how much the other 10 guys out there help.”

About 250 coaches, former finalists and media members voted for the award, given annually by the Houston Rotary Club. Chuck Poole, the event’s public relations director, said the club didn’t release a breakdown of the votes.

Hawk is the first Buckeyes player to capture the award since Orlando Pace won for the second time in 1996. Jim Stillwagon (1970), John Hicks (1973) and Chris Spielman (1987) also won for Ohio State.

The 6-foot-1, 240-pound Hawk was also named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year by a panel of coaches and media. He’s also in the running for the Walter Camp (player of the year), Bednarik (best defensive player) and Butkus (best linebacker) awards.

The Lombardi Award was initiated by Houston’s rotary club in 1970, shortly after its Hall of Fame namesake – Vince Lombardi – died of cancer.

The design of the 40-pound trophy – a block of granite mounted on a steel base – is a nod to Lombardi’s college playing days. Before guiding the Green Bay Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls, Lombardi was an offensive guard at Fordham in the 1930s, part of a unit nicknamed the “Seven Blocks of Granite.”

The senior led Ohio State this season with 109 tackles and 13 behind the line. He ranks fifth on the school’s career tackles list with 382 heading into Ohio State’s Fiesta Bowl matchup with Notre Dame.