| Daily Blog •July 6, 2011 |
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In the next 3 days I will be examining some of the preseason watch lists that have been released for college football’s top players.
I take pride in being a member of several different College Football Awards including the Maxwell Football Club and got the chance to attend the Club’s Awards Dinner this past year in Atlantic City. I am also happy to say that I take part in compiling the preseason and postseason watch lists with some of the members and yesterday the Club released their 2011 watch lists for the 75th annual Maxwell Award and the 17th annual Bednarik Award.
Today I will break down the Bednarik Award List, which has been presented to the nation's top defensive player since 1995. A former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, Chuck Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame's Class of '67.Last year’s winner was LSU CB Patrick Peterson and returning Bednarik Award semifinalists from 2010 include Florida State DE Brandon Jenkins, Boston College LB Luke Kuechly, and Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o.
Here is the complete list.
2011 Bednarik Award Watch List
| NAME | LAST NAME | SCHOOL | POSITION |
CLASS |
CONF |
| Ray Ray | Armstong | Miami | S |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Ryan | Baker | LSU | LB |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Mark | Barron | Alabama | S |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Jake | Bequette | Arkansas | DE |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Brandon | Boykin | Georgia | CB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Nigel | Bradham | Florida State | LB |
Sr. |
ACC |
| Tanner | Brock | TCU | LB |
Jr. |
MWC |
| Vince | Browne | Northwestern | DE |
Sr. |
Big 10 |
| Vontaze | Burfict | Arizona State | LB |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Tank | Carder | TCU | LB |
Sr. |
MWC |
| Morris | Claiborne | LSU | CB |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Quinton | Coples | North Carolina | DT |
Sr. |
ACC |
| Jared | Crick | Nebraska | DT |
Sr. |
Big 10 |
| Vinny | Curry | Marshall | DE |
Sr. |
CUSA |
| Lavonte | David | Nebraska | LB |
Sr. |
Big 10 |
| Alfonzo | Dennard | Nebraska | CB |
Sr. |
Big 10 |
| Tony | Dye | UCLA | S |
Sr. |
Pac-12 |
| Donnie | Fletcher | Boston College | CB |
Sr. |
ACC |
| Jerry | Franklin | Arkansas | LB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Stephon | Gilmore | South Carolina | CB |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Zaviar | Gooden | Missouri | LB |
Jr. |
Big 12 |
| Casey | Hayward | Vanderbilt | CB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Dont'a | Hightower | Alabama | LB |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Jayron | Hosley | Virginia Tech | CB |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Jaye | Howard | Florida | DT |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Delano | Howell | Stanford | S |
Sr. |
Pac-12 |
| Bruce | Irvin | West Virginia | DE |
Jr. |
Big East |
| Brandon | Jenkins | Florida State | DE |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Coryell | Judie | Texas A&M | CB |
Sr. |
Big 12 |
| Mychal | Kendricks | Cal | LB |
Sr. |
Pac-12 |
| Dre | Kirkpatrick | Alabama | CB |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Jake | Knott | Iowa State | LB |
Jr. |
Big 12 |
| Luke | Kuechly | Boston College | LB |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Robert | Lester | Alabama | S |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Travis | Lewis | Oklahoma | LB |
Sr. |
Big 12 |
| Brandon | Lindsey | Pitt | DE |
Sr. |
Big East |
| Mike | Martin | Michigan | DT |
Sr. |
Big 10 |
| Chris | Marve | Vanderbilt | LB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Jonathan | Massaqoui | Troy | DE |
Jr. |
Sun Belt |
| Tyrann | Mathieu | LSU | CB |
Soph. |
SEC |
| T.J. | McDonald | USC | S |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Chase | Minnifield | Virginia | CB |
Sr. |
ACC |
| Roosevelt | Nix | Kent State | DT |
Soph. |
MAC |
| Donte | Paige-Moss | North Carolina | DE |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Shaun | Prater | Iowa | CB |
Sr. |
Big 10 |
| Kheeston | Randall | Texas | DT |
Sr. |
Big 12 |
| Kevin | Reddick | North Carolina | LB |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Greg | Reid | Florida State | CB |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Kendall | Reyes | Connecticut | DT |
Sr. |
Big East |
| Xavier | Rhodes | Florida State | CB |
Soph. |
ACC |
| Keenan | Robinson | Texas | LB |
Sr. |
Big 12 |
| Shayne | Skov | Stanford | LB |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Sean | Spence | Miami | LB |
Sr. |
ACC |
| Alameda | Ta'amu | Washington | DT |
Sr. |
Pac-12 |
| Keith | Tandy | West Virginia | CB |
Sr. |
Big East |
| Kenny | Tate | Maryland | S |
Sr. |
ACC |
| Bruce | Taylor | Virginia Tech | LB |
Jr. |
ACC |
| Devin | Taylor | South Carolina | DE |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
| Manti | Te'o | Notre Dame | LB |
Jr. |
Indep |
| Danny | Trevathan | Kentucky | LB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Courtney | Upshaw | Alabama | LB |
Sr. |
SEC |
| Prentiss | Waggner | Tennessee | S |
Jr. |
SEC |
| Korey | Williams | Southern Miss | LB |
Sr. |
CUSA |
| Billy | Winn | Boise State | DT |
Sr. |
MWC |
| Jerel | Worthy | Michigan State | DT |
Jr. |
Big 10 |
10 conferences plus the Independents were represented on the list with the SEC leading the way with 17 selections. The ACC was second with 15 selections while the Pac-12 was third with 8. Alabama clearly has the best defense in the country and the Bednarik watch list further proves this point as the Crimson Tide have 5 players listed! Florida St is second with 4 while Nebraska, North Carolina and LSU have 3 each.
Semifinalists for the Bednarik will be announced October 31st and the three finalists will be unveiled November 21st. The winners of the 2011 Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held on December 8th. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's Entertainment Atlantic City on March 2nd 2012.
The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club's selection committee, evaluating past performance and future potential. The Club reserves the right to make additions and deletions to these lists as the 2011 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA sports information directors, head coaches, and selected national media are eligible to vote for the awards.