Tag: Bednarik Award

Cooper DeJean named to 2023 Bednarik Award watch list

Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean was named to the Bednarik Award watch list and looks to become the Hawkeyes’ first to win the award.

Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean was placed on the watchlist for the prestigious Bednarik Award. The Maxwell Football Club announced their watchlist candidates for the 29th iteration of the award on Monday.

Few trophies are more distinguished in college football than the Bednarik Award. It is amply named after “Concrete Charlie” Chuck Bednarik, who was one of the greatest football players at both the collegiate and professional levels. One of the hardest hitters in football history, Bednarik was the last of the Iron Men, playing all 60 minutes on both sides of the ball throughout his career.

His namesake award was instituted in 1995 by the Maxwell Group. It is presented annually to the best defensive player in the nation. Many greats, including Charles Woodson, Julius Peppers, and Aaron Donald, have received the award. Will Anderson Jr. is the most recent recipient.

DeJean makes the list after a stellar sophomore season. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the media and second team by the coaches in 2022 after finishing with 75 tackles, five interceptions and eight pass breakups.

Cooper is looking to become the first Iowa Hawkeye to win the award. The Hawkeyes have had eight semifinalists for the award since 2005. They include Jack Campbell last year, Daviyon Nixon in 2020, both Josh Jackson and Josey Jewell in 2017, Desmond King in 2016, Adrian Clayborn in 2010, Pat Angerer in 2009, and Chad Greenway back in 2005.

Earlier this month DeJean was named to the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, and Paul Hornung Award watch lists.

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Aaron Beasley named to Bednarik Award preseason watch list

Tennessee linebacker Aaron Beasley named to Bednarik Award preseason watch list.

Tennessee senior linebacker Aaron Beasley was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award preseason watch list.

He is one of 85 players on the list released by the Maxwell Football Club.

The award is presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year and named after Chuck Bednarik, an All-American at Pennsylvania.

Beasley is one of 12 Southeastern Conference players named to the list.

As a junior in 2022, Beasley recorded 75 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, three sacks, nine quarterback hurries and three pass deflections.

Beasley was named to the Associated Press All-Bowl Team after recording 12 tackles, four tackles for a loss and two sacks in the Orange Bowl.

Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 13. Three finalists will be determined Nov. 28.

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Michigan State football LB Cal Haladay named to Bednarik Award watch list

Michigan State football LB Cal Haladay named to Bednarik Award watch list

Michigan State football linebacker Cal Haladay is starting to get quite the hype train going. On Monday, it was announced that Haladay has made the watch list for the Bednarik Award, which is given to college football’s best defensive player.

This is the third award watch list for Haladay this month. Haladay racked up an impressive 120 tackles last year for the Spartans.

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Penn State defensive trio named on Bednarik Award watch list

No school has more Chuck Bednarik Awards than Penn State. These three players hope to add another to the collection in 2023.

No school has more Chuck Bednarik Award winners than Penn State, and the Nittany Lions have three players looking to keep it that way this season.

The watch list for the Bednarik Award (most outstanding defensive player in college football) was released on Monday, and it included three of Penn State’s top defensive stars. Linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], and defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] were each included on the award’s watch list from the Maxwell Football Club.

Carter started six games and played in all 13 games for Penn State in 2022. He earned All-Big Ten second-team honors and was a freshman All-American for the FWAA. He led Penn State with 10.5 tackles for loss last season and he finished fourth in the Big Ten with 6.5 sacks last season.

Carter has also appeared on the watch lists for the Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

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King is coming off a stellar season in the Penn State defense in 2022. He was named a third-team All-Big Ten player by the Big Ten coaches and media and received third-team All-America from Pro Football Focus and an honorable mention for All-American by Phil Steele. The Walter Camp Football Foundation named King a second-team All-American.

King has also been named to the watch lists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Award, and the Jim Thorpe Award.

Robinson transferred to Penn State from Maryland and he quickly asserted himself as a playmaker on the Penn State defensive line. Robinson appeared in 12 games and recorded 10 tackles for a loss with 5.5 sacks. He earned team defensive player of the week honors three times last season, including in the Rose Bowl against Utah.

Robinson also appears on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award.

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The Chuck Bednarik Award was first presented by the Maxwell Football Club in 1995 to former Northwestern linebacker (and head coach) Pat Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald won the award each of the first two years it was presented. He is one of two two-time winners of the Bednarik Award.

Penn State’s Paul Posluszny is the other. Pusluszny won back-to-back Bednarik Awards in 2005 and 2006, and he was followed a year later by Dan Conner to make it three consecutive seasons for Penn State to be home to the Bednarik Award. Penn State’s first Bednarik Award winner was linebacker LaVar Arrington in 1999.

Penn State may have four all-time Bednarik Awards, but they are tied with Alabama for the most individual players to have won the Bednarik Award with three each. Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. was last season’s Bednarik Award winner.

Other notable Bednarik Award winners through the years include Charles Woodson (Michigan, 1997), Julius Peppers (North Carolina, 2001), Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska, 2009), Tyrann Mathieu (LSU, 2011), Aaron Donald (Pitt, 2013), Chase Young (Ohio State, 2019), and Jordan Davis (Georgia, 2021).

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Three Tigers named to the Bednarik Award watch list, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player

Three Tigers on the Bednarik Award watch list heading into the 2023 college football season.

The Maxwell Football Club announced today that linebacker Barrett Carter, defensive tackle Tyler Davis and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. have been named as three of 85 candidates on the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player. Clemson and Penn State are the only programs in the nation to feature three members on the watch list in 2023.

Additional information from the Maxwell Football Club is included below. Visit the 2023 Preseason Honors hub for more preseason accolades garnered by Clemson.

The Maxwell Football Club today announced its watch list for the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football.

The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multiple year All Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full-time player on both offense and defense.

The Bednarik Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, led by 5 returning 2022 semifinalists: Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama), Tyler Davis (Clemson), Jer’Zhan Newton (Illinois), Tommy Eichenberg (Ohio State) and Jason Henderson (Old Dominion). Clemson and Penn State lead the way with 3 candidates each with an additional 9 schools boasting 2 candidates.

Last year’s Chuck Bednarik Award winner was Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) who went on to be the 1st round selection of the Houston Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft. Anderson joined Alabama greats Jonathan Allen (2016) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (2017) as the third Crimson Tide player to win the award.

S Trey Taylor, Air Force
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
LB Dallas Turner, Alabama
LB Leo Lowin, Army
CB D.J. James, Auburn
LB DJ Schramm, Boise State
DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo
LB Ben Bywater, BYU
LB Jackson Sirmon, Cal
DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
DT Tyler Davis, Clemson
LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
LB Barrett Carter, Clemson
S Jack Howell, Colorado State
LB Jackson Mitchell, Connecticut
DT DeWayne Carter, Duke
DE Princely Umanmielen, Florida
DE Jared Verse, Florida State
LB Levelle Bailey, Fresno State
DB Javon Bullard, Georgia
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
S LaMiles Brooks, Georgia Tech
DL Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
DL Keith Randolph, Illinois
DL Andre Carter, Indiana
CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
CB T.J. Tampa, Iowa State
CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas
S Kobe Savage, Kansas State
LB J.J. Weaver, Kentucky
LB Harold Perkins, LSU
DE Owen Porter, Marshall
LB Jaishawn Barham, Maryland
DT Leonard Taylor, Miami
S Kamren Kinchens, Miami
DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan
LB Junior Colson, Michigan
LB Cal Haladay, Michigan State
S Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
LB Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State
LB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri
CB Aydan White, NC State
LB Payton Wilson, NC State
LB Cedric Gray, North Carolina
CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
DE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
LB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
DE Ethan Downs, Oklahoma
LB Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
DE Cedric Johnson, Ole Miss
DE Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
S Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State
CB Kalen King, Penn State
DE Chop Robinson, Penn State
LB Abdul Carter, Penn State
CB M.J. Devonshire, Pitt
DE Aaron Lewis, Rutgers
S Yam Banks, South Alabama
S Jay Stanley, Southern Miss
LB David Bailey, Stanford
LB Marlowe Wax, Syracuse
CB Josh Newton, TCU
LB Layton Jordan, Temple
LB Aaron Beasley, Tennessee
LB Jaylan Ford, Texas
DT Jaylon Hutchings, Texas Tech
CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
CB Reddy Steward, Troy
CB Jarius Monroe, Tulane
DT Patrick Jenkins, Tulane
DT Fish McWilliams, UAB
LB Jason Johnson, UCF
LB Laiatu Latu, UCLA
S Calen Bullock, USC
S Cole Bishop, Utah
LB Tyrice Knight, UTEP
S Rashad Wisdom, UTSA
DE Chico Bennett, Virginia
DE Bralen Trice, Washington
S Aubrey Burks, West Virginia
LB JaQues Evans, Western Kentucky
LB Maema Njongmeta, Wisconsin
LB Easton Gibbs, Wyoming

The Chuck Bednarik Award has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.

Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 13, 2023, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled November 28, 2023. The winners of the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 7, 2023. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March 2024.

Questions concerning the 2023 Bednarik Award watch list can be directed to MFC Executive Director Mark Wolpert mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org or MFC Vice President of College Awards Rich Cirminiello rcirminiello@maxwellfootballclub.org.

ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB – The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, Montage Mountain Resorts, the Buccini Polin Group, the ETC Foundation and the Run Around Inc. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.

ABOUT PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS – PFF is widely recognized as the industry leader in the advanced data collection and analysis for American football. Since 2011, PFF has led football’s charge into the world of analytics. Their services are trusted by all 32 NFL teams and over 100 FBS programs. Major broadcast networks, national media outlets and player agencies all use PFF as a resource as well. PFF’s media network provides fans with apps, tools, podcasts and other content to help satisfy their thirst for deeper insights in the game.

The Chuck Bednarik Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.

Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2023 preseason watch list calendar:

Mon., July 31: Maxwell Award
Tue., Aug. 1: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., Aug. 2: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Thu., Aug. 3: Paul Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy
Fri., Aug. 4: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy

Mon., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award
Tue., Aug. 8: Davey O’Brien Award
Wed., Aug. 9: Doak Walker Award
Thu., Aug. 10: Butkus Award/Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Fri., Aug. 11: Walter Camp Award

Mon., Aug. 14: Bednarik Award

For more information about the NCFAA and its college football awards, visit the redesigned NCFAA.org or follow on Twitter @NCFAA.

-Via Clemson Athletic Communciations

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Rutgers football: Aaron Lewis named to prestigious watch list

Aaron Lewis of Rutgers football is named to the preseason watchlist for the Bednarik Award.

Aaron Lewis is generating plenty of buzz this summer, the Rutgers football defensive end being named to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award.

The award is given annually to the top defensive player in college football.

In mid-July, Lewis was named to the 2023 All-Big Ten team by Pro Football Focus. The hype around Lewis is warranted, given his strong second season at Rutgers.

In 2022, Lewis racked up 54 tackles and 1.5 sacks in addition to a forced fumble for Rutgers. He was the only Rutgers player to earn an All-Big Ten team designation from PFF.

This will be the third season at Rutgers for Lewis, who transferred from Michigan prior to the 2020 season.

 

The last two winners of the Bednarik Award came from Georgia (Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis in 2021 and Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. in 2022).

Chase Young, a defensive end at Ohio State, was the last player from the Big Ten to win the Bednarik Award. Now with the Washington Commanders, Young won the award in 2019.

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Tommy Eichenberg and J.T. Tuimoloau make Bednarik watch list

Two more Buckeyes on a watch list, this time for the Bednarik. #GoBucks

It’s the start of another week that’s closing in on the beginning of the college football season so that must mean we’ve got some more preseason watch list news. And if it’s a watch list, there’s a good chance some Ohio State players are included.

Sure enough, the Chuck Bednarik Award released its 2023 preseason watch list on Monday, and there are two more OSU players included among the whopping 86 names. Those two Buckeyes are linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau who are both already appearing on other watch lists this preseason.

The Bednarik Award is handed out by the Maxwell Football Club and has been around since 1995. It honors the best defensive player in college football annually.

That’s a lot of names for one of the most prestigious awards out there. Only one Ohio State players has taken the honor home, and that was defensive end Chase Young in that ridiculous 2019 campaign.

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Notre Dame players named to preseason award watch lists

Will anyone win this year?

It’s the time of year when we start seeing award watch lists come out in anticipation of the college football season. With Notre Dame expected to be highly ranked once again, there are plenty of players who are ripe for watching. Whether or not any of them actually take home any of this hardware is anyone’s guess right now, but they’re at least on the radar of those who know college football best.

In some cases, more than one Notre Dame player is on the watch list for the same award. Also, as different award watch lists come on different days, it can be difficult to keep track of them all. Rest assured, we will be doing just that as these lists continue to come out.

At season’s end, we’ll find out if any of them or maybe somebody different becomes the first national award winner for the Irish since [autotag]Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah[/autotag] won the Butkus Award in 2020:

Tuli Tuipulotu named finalist for the Bednarik Award in 2022

The award named for ‘Concrete Charlie’ Bednarik, an icon of football, carries great stature and prestige. Tuli Tuipulotu is a finalist for the prize. #USC

The Maxwell Football Club has announced three finalists for the Bednarik Award, and USC defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu is one of them.

The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented to the best defensive player in college football. The past few winners include Chase Young in 2019 of Ohio State and Jordan Davis of Georgia in 2021.

Chuck Bednarik is an iconically memorable figure in football history. He starred at Pennsylvania in college and then became an NFL world champion with the Philadelphia Eagles. His thunderous hit of New York Giant halfback and former USC Trojan Frank Gifford is one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. “Concrete Charlie” is a football legend, whose story lives on at NFL Films.

Winning the Bednarik Award is a big deal.

Tuli Tuipulotu is the nation’s second-leading sack man with 11.5 on the season (1.15 per game). He is also the Pac-12 leader and is fourth nationally with 1.8 tackles for loss per game (17.5 total). Those combine for 167 yards lost to opposing offenses.

The other finalists for the award are Cincinnati’s Ivan Pace Jr., who leads the American Athletic Conference in tackles and tied for second in sacks and Will Anderson Jr. of Alabama, currently leading the Southeastern Conference in sacks (10) and tackles for loss (17). Both marks are among the top-10 in the nation.

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Keion White headlines the Bednarik Award’s weekly honor roll

The Bednarik Award’s weekly honor roll features several top defensive performances from last week.

Keion White is coming off a huge weekend for Georgia Tech, earning the Bednarik Award Player of the Week honors. He is joined by a strong list of players who made impacts last weekend on the defensive side of the ball.

The Maxwell Football Club awards the Chuck Bednarik Award for the top defensive player in college football. Last season, Georgia’s Jordan Davis was the recipient of the Bednarik Award.

Every March, the club hosts an annual awards gala at the Harrah’s in Atlantic City, N.J. where the winners of the Maxwell Award (for the nation’s top player) as well as the Bednarik Award are honored.

Scroll down and check out the seven players who made this week’s Bednarik Award Weekly Honor Roll!

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