Tag: award

Broncos CB Pat Surtain named Rookie of the Week

Congrats to Broncos CB Pat Surtain! Denver RB Javonte Williams finished third in the voting.

Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain has been named Rookie of the Week, an honor voted on by fans on NFL.com.

Surtain had a big game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12, totaling five tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions in a 28-13 win. Surtain’s 70-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter also helped him earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Broncos running back Javonte Williams (111 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown) finished third in the Rookie of the Week voting (Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle finished second).

In Week 9, Williams won the Rookie of the Week award after he rushed for 111 yards in Denver’s 30-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Surtain was selected by the Broncos with the ninth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft out of Alabama. Denver then traded up in the second round of the draft to select Williams out of North Carolina. It’s still early, but those two picks appear to have been excellent decisions by the Broncos.

[listicle id=668709]

[listicle id=667826]

Broncos CB Pat Surtain, RB Javonte Williams nominated for Rookie of the Week award

Broncos CB Pat Surtain and RB Javonte Williams have both been nominated for the Rookie of the Week award!

Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain and running back Javonte Williams have both been nominated for the Rookie of the Week award on NFL.com.

Denver’s not the only team that has a pair of players nominated — the Miami Dolphins also have two nominees in outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips (three sacks) and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (nine catches for 137 yards and a touchdown).

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (310 passing yards, two touchdowns) and San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (168 yards from scrimmage, one touchdown) were also nominated.

Williams had a big game on Sunday, totaling 111 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown despite playing in a shared backfield with Melvin Gordon.

Surtain also had an impressive performance, totaling five tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions, one of which was returned 70 yards for a touchdown. Surtain’s pick-six brought back memories of Champ Bailey.

Fans can vote for the Rookie of the Week award on NFL.com.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[listicle id=668701]

Javonte Williams has broken more tackles than 19 NFL teams

After the first 100-yard game of his career, Broncos RB Javonte Williams has been nominated for the Rookie of the Week award!

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=EoAchwhnj7-1603239-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

The Denver Broncos gave rookie running back Javonte Williams a career-high 17 carries during Sunday’s big win over the Dallas Cowboys. Williams took advantage of that increased workload by rushing for 100 yards in a single game for the first time in his NFL career.

After averaging 6.53 yards per carry and finishing the day with 111 yards on the ground, Williams has been nominated for the Rookie of the Week award on NFL.com (vote for him here).

Sunday might have been a breakout game for Williams, but it wasn’t a surprising performance to fans in Denver. Williams has looked extremely promising this season, forcing 35 missed tackles on run plays, according to Pro Football Focus.

That’s more forced missed tackles than 19 NFL teams have totaled this season.

This is nothing new for Williams, who led college football with 75 broken tackles last season. He’s tough to bring down!

Through nine games this season, Williams has rushed 95 times for 466 yards, averaging and impressive 4.9 yards per carry. The second-round pick out of North Carolina has certainly lived up to the hype thus far.

[pickup_prop id=”15178″]

[listicle id=667375]

[vertical-gallery id=667370]

Georgia’s Jalen Carter receives SEC weekly honor

Jalen Carter wins weekly SEC honor

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz2y40j067srkf player_id=none image=https://ugawire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jalen Carter was everywhere during UGA’s 30-13 win over No. 11 ranked Kentucky on Saturday.

His performance was enough to win him SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.

He finished with six tackles, including a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. He also blocked an extra point on the last play of the game after Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops called a timeout in an effort to reach the end zone before the game expired.

Only a sophomore, Carter does not receive the same national recognition that Jordan Davis might, but his teammates and coaches will tell you that the Apopka, Florida native is as good as it gets on the line.

Fox Best player from each state list recognizes one Notre Dame star

Which did they get right and which did they get wrong?

Earlier this week Fox Sports released a fun list where they named the greatest football player to ever come from each of the 50 states.  Some were more accomplished than others (ie – Reggie Bush, California vs. Jamie Duncan, Delaware) but it was a fun list nonetheless.

Of the 50 states only one to ever play at Notre Dame was named the best to come from their home state and that was Angelo Bertelli of Massachusetts.  Bertelli won the 1943 Heisman Trophy as he quarterbacked the Fighting Irish team that won that season’s national championship.

Related: Notre Dame’s seven Heisman Trophy winners

The list is a fun one and there probably is no absolute right answer for many of the states but without giving too much away I will say that Red Grange should have been chosen over Dick Butkus in my home state while Cam Newton getting the nod over Herschel Walker in Georgia is borderline criminal (and yes, I’m aware of what Newton did in his one season at Auburn).

As for Rod Woodson being chosen for the state of Indiana, I’d love to argue for a Notre Dame player if there was one but this former collegiate hurdler is in 100% agreeance with that selection.

Related:  The winningest college football coaches of all-time

Twitter reactions after Blake Gillikin snubbed for Special Teams Player of the Week

Twitter reactions after Blake Gillikin snubbed for Special Teams Player of the Week:

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”095SvckIP8-1556065-7498″]

New Orleans Saints punter Blake Gillikin had the best game of his young career against the Washington Football Team, but he wasn’t recognized as NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Instead that honor belongs to T.J. Edwards, a Philadelphia Eagles backup linebacker who blocked a punt last week.

Naturally fans and media close to the team raised an uproar over this on Twitter:

Ross Nominated for Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award

NEW YORK, NY. -The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), in association with The Associated Press (AP), the Fiesta Bowl Organization and Mayo Clinic – your source for medical answers, have selected three college football …

NEW YORK, NY. —The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), in association with The Associated Press (AP), the Fiesta Bowl Organization and Mayo Clinic – your source for medical answers, have selected three college football student-athletes—Justyn Ross, a junior wide receiver at Clemson University; Avery Samuels a sophomore offensive lineman at Stetson University; and Corey Sutton a super senior wide receiver at Appalachian State University—as nominees for the 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Ten times during the 2021 college football season, three inspiring student-athletes from all levels of college football who have overcome injury, illness, or other challenges, are recognized as Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Nominees by a panel of writers, editors, and sports information directors from CoSIDA, AP and Touchdown Illustrated. In December, three of the 30 nominees will be chosen as winners of the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award and will be recognized at a special ceremony during the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl on Saturday, January 1, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.  CoSIDA members can nominate football student-athletes until November 1 at Comeback-Player.com.

The previously announced nominees include: Terrel Bernard (LB, Baylor); Yohance Burnett (LB, Tulsa); Jack Coan (QB, Notre Dame); Aidan Hutchinson (DE, Michigan); Brian Kearns, Jr (RB, Stonehill College); and John Mitchell (TE, Florida Atlantic).    

Here’s a look at the inspiring stories of this week’s three honorees:

Justyn Ross, a junior wide receiver for Clemson University was one of the most explosive receivers in college football in 2018-19, catching 112 passes for 1865 yards and 17 touchdowns including six receptions for 153 yards and a 74-yard TD as a freshman in the College Football Championship game versus Alabama.  Poised for another big season last year, his 2020 campaign ended in June, when being treated for a “stinger” injury to his neck at spring practice, doctors discovered a congenital fusion condition of his neck and spine that required surgery.  Following surgery and a year of recovery, the Phenix City, Alabama native proved he is still a force, leading the Tigers with 22 receptions and three touchdowns through four games this season.

Avery Samuels, a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman for Stetson University sat out the 2020-21 season as seven members of his family perished from COVID-19.   Following the death of his uncle last April and six other family members in the months that followed, he made the decision to opt-out of the season and spend the time with his family.  Remarkably, despite the family tragedy, the 6 foot 4, 315-pound psychology major returned to the Hatters this summer and has been working his way back onto the field more each week.  This past weekend, the native of Mt. Airy, Pennsylvania played in front of friends and family as Stetson visited Princeton.

Corey Sutton, a super senior wide receiver for App State, who recorded 85 receptions for 1374 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first 22 career games, tore the ACL in his left knee in the ninth game of the 2019 season versus Texas State.  The injury cost him the final three games of the season for the 13-1 Mountaineers including their Sun Belt Championship victory over Troy and their New Orleans Bowl win over UAB.  The 6-foot 3, 205-pound native of Charlotte, NC sat out the entire 2020 season to completely rehab his knee.  Through four games in 2021, he has a league-leading 28 catches, a team-leading 367 yards and two receiving TDs.  This week in the nationally televised win over longtime rival Marshall, he set a career high with 10 receptions for 127 yards and a highlight-reel TD that ranked as the No. 1 play of the day on ESPN’s SportsCenter. 

Past winners of the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award have included:  2018 – Antwan Dixon (Kent State), Seth Simmer (Dartmouth), Antonio Wimbush (Carson-Newman); 2019 – Jake Luton (Oregon State), Drew Wilson (Georgia Southern), Octavion Wilson (Salisbury University); 2020 – Jarek Broussard (Colorado), Kenneth Horsey (Kentucky) and Silas Kelly (Coastal Carolina).  For a complete list of past honorees and additional details on their remarkable comeback stories, visit www.Comeback-Player.com; follow via Twitter at @ComebackPlayrFB via the hashtag #MayoClinicCPOY; and on Instagram at @Comeback_Player_CFB.

VOTE: Alvin Kamara up for FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara has been nominated for the 2020 FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year award after his record-setting season

[jwplayer pW2m0EWH-ThvAeFxT]

New Orleans Saints fans have an opportunity to vote for Alvin Kamara to win the 2020 FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year award. He’s a candidate alongside Minnesota Vikings rusher Dalvin Cook and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.

Kamara, who led the league in scrimmage touchdowns (21) and ranked third with 1,688 scrimmage yards (932 rushing, 756 receiving), won recognition as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his six-touchdown performance against the Vikings on Christmas Day.

Voting will be conducted at NFL.com/FedEx until Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. CT, as well as the NFL Mobile App and official polls from the NFL on Twitter. The winner will be announced at this year’s NFL Honors event on Saturday, Feb. 6.

[vertical-gallery id=33835]

Antonio Gibson named Pepsi Rookie of the Week for game vs. Cowboys

Gibson’s 136 total yards and three touchdowns on Thanksgiving Day were good enough to earn him the Pepsi Rookie of the Week award.

If the accolades and praise that Washington rookie RB Antonio Gibson got after his stellar performance on Thanksgiving Day against the Dallas Cowboys weren’t enough, he is now being honored as the NFL’s Pepsi Rookie of the Week.

Gibson finished the game with his best stat line yet, racking up 136 total yards and three touchdowns on the day, giving him 11 total on the year. He is now two away from tying Alfred Morris’ rookie record in Washington.

There is some confidence that Gibson is still learning as a rookie, and that his ceiling is much higher than what we’ve seen so far from the former third-round pick. If that’s the case, then Washington got a real steal, and they likely found their RB of the future for years to come.

[vertical-gallery id=44530]

Ian Book named to Davey O’Brien Award Class of 2020

Notre Dame’s Ian Book continues to earn national recognition for the outstanding 2020 season he’s having.

Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book has had a stellar 2020 season where he’s seemingly improved each week over the past month or so, continues to get national recognition.

Book, who has led Notre Dame to a 9-0 mark and clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game, has been named to the Davey O’Brien weekly award list four times this year as well.

Now Book has officially been selected to the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Class of 2020.

Here is what Notre Dame’s official release on Book’s selection said:

NOTRE DAME, Indiana — University of Notre Dame graduate student quarterback Ian Book has been selected to the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Class of 2020. Named to the award’s weekly honor list four times this season, Book is one of 35 FBS quarterbacks recognized.

Book is undefeated in 2020, leading the Irish to wins over ranked opponents No. 1 Clemson and No. 19 North Carolina. With 29 career wins as a starter, he is tied for the most all-time by a Notre Dame quarterback. His .906 win rate (29-3) as a starter ranks second among all FBS quarterbacks, while his 29 wins tie for third among all FBS passers, even as he owns only the 12th-most starts by a current FBS quarterback.

The rare two-time team captain has totaled 237-consecutive passing attempts without an interception this season, tied for the longest active streak in the FBS and the longest streak in Notre Dame quarterback history.

In 2020, Book has completed 157 passes for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns, rushing 83 times for 412 yards and six touchdowns.

Book ranks second all-time in Irish records in career passing yards (8,215), touchdown passes (69), QB rushing yards (1,445), total offense yards (9,660) and points responsible for (498).

In his career, Book has been named to the O’Brien Great 8 weekly list seven times, including selection to the list for the past three-consecutive games (vs. No. 1 Clemson, at Boston College and at No. 19 North Carolina). He has been recognized a total of four times in 2020.

The award will select 16 semifinalists based on a selection committee and a fan vote. Semifinalists will be announced December 7. The fan vote will take place on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and the winner of the vote on each of the three sites will receive the equivalent of two additional committee member ballots.

Following the naming of the semifinalists, the next round of fan voting will take place from Monday, Dec. 7 to Sunday, Dec. 20 with the three finalists named on Tuesday, Dec. 22. The final round of fan voting will occur from Tuesday, Dec. 22 until Wednesday, Dec. 30. The winner will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 7 on the 30th annual The Home Depot College Football Awards, which will be held virtually from 7-8:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.