HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana senior defensive lineman Ashton Henderson has been selected as one of three national finalists for the inaugural Piesman Trophy, presented by SB Nation.
 
The award honors the lineman, who does the most "un-lineman like" feat on the field. Henderson is one of three finalists, along with Michigan State's Jack Allen and Miami's Ufomba Kamalu, invited to New York City for the trophy presentation on Dec. 11. The voting panel consisted of SBNation.com staff members and collegiate football writers from around the country.
 
Henderson was nominated after his remarkable play in Southeastern's 28-17 victory over Florida Tech on Sept. 12. The Lion nose tackle scooped up a fumble and with speed that belied his 320-pound frame – the weight he is generously listed at on the Lion roster – and rumbled 45 yards for a touchdown.
 
The video, shot by SLU videographer Todd Dunnington, and Henderson's genuine response were instant hits. When Dunnington asked Henderson postgame if he knew he was going to score, the Tulsa, Oklahoma native said, "I didn't know. But I ran like I did know."
 
From there Dunnington sent the video to Southland Conference Assistant Commissioner for Television and Electronic Media Chris Mycoskie. Mycoskie passed it on to Piesman Trophy officials and they named him among the finalists. In all, 63 nominees were among those considered and Henderson's play was voted among the top three by the panel.
 
For more information on the Piesman Trophy, visit http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/7/28/9011365/piesman-trophy-rules-faq. Videos of Henderson and the three finalists are available at http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/12/2/9835492/piesman-trophy-finalists-2015.