Virginia linebackers Charles Snowden and Noah Taylor have been named to the preseason Bednarik Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.
UVA is the only program with multiple linebackers on the list.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Chuck Bednarik, a former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1969) and the NFL Hall of Fame (Class of 1967).
Snowden (Sr., Silver Spring, Md.) was an honorable mention All-ACC honoree in 2019 after finishing with 72 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, four pass breakups and one fumble recovery. He was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Year after leading all players with 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in a win over Old Dominion in 2019. In 2018, he led the nation’s linebackers with nine pass breakups and 11 passes defended.
Taylor (Jr., Silver Spring, Md.) was one of three FBS players in 2019 with 7.0+ sacks and at least two interceptions. He was No. 2 among ACC linebackers in 2019 with 7.0 sacks, finishing second to teammate Jordan Mack (7.5). Taylor recorded 57 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, two interceptions, four pass breakups and blocked a punt for the Cavaliers in 2019.
Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 3, 2020, while the three finalists will be unveiled Nov. 23, 2020. The winner of the 2020 Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 10, 2020. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 12, 2021.
The Chuck Bednarik Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more.
Information from Virginia Athletics
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