MANHASSET, N.Y. - A second member of the Western Michigan football team has been named to a national award preseason watch list.  Junior tight end Branden Ledbetter was included on the 32-man list announced by the Nassau County Sports Commission on July 23.

Ledbetter, who is coming off a 2006 season where he led the Broncos in touchdown receptions (six) and was a Second-Team All-Mid-American Conference Offensive selection, was one of only three MAC student-athletes to make the list.  Toledo's Chris Hopkins and Ball State's Darius Hill also made the list.

He registered the first 100-yard game of this career with 101 on a career-best nine catches against Miami.  He also hauled in two touchdowns for the first time in his career against the Red Hawks.  Ledbetter was name John Mackey National Tight End of the Week for his performance and now has eight career scores, third all-time among tight ends at Western Michigan.  The mark of 13 is shared by Tony Scheffler (current Denver Broncos tight end) and Jake Moreland (current WMU tight ends coach).  Mobolaji Afariogun (1999-2002) ranks second all-time for TDs by a tight end at WMU with 11.

The John Mackey Award presented since 2000, lists six NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark ('01) of the 2007 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham ('02) of the Denver Broncos, Kellen Winslow, Jr. ('03) of the Cleveland Browns, Heath Miller ('04) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis ('05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars and 2006 John Mackey Award recipient Matt Spaeth of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Nassau County Sports Commission, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization created to enhance the quality of life through sports is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee.