The ACC had 18 players selected to the 2017 Preseason Bednarik Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday. That is the highest total of any conference.
The Bednarik Award is given annually to the nation’s top defensive player.
The ACC also had 11 players chosen for the Maxwell Award, including the 2016 recipient in Louisville’s Lamar Jackson. The Maxwell Award is given annually to the nation’s top football player. Jackson, who also captured the 2016 Heisman Trophy, became the first Louisville player to win the Maxwell last year.
This year marks the 81st annual Maxwell Award and the 23rd annual Bednarik Award. The Maxwell Award, named in honor of Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell, has been given to America’s College Player of the Year since 1937. Maxwell’s contributions to the game of football were extensive, including time as a player, a sportswriter and an official. The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Chuck Bednarik, former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, 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.
In all, the ACC had 29 selections on the Bednarik and Maxwell Award Watch Lists, which includes three players—Boston College defensive end Harold Landry, Florida State defensive back Derwin James and Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins—who were named to both watch lists.
ACC Players Selected to the 2017 Preseason Bednarik Award Watch List
- Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
- Quin Blanding, S, Virginia
- Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
- Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
- Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest
- Ben Humphreys, LB, Duke
- Derwin James, DB, Florida State
- Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia
- Harold Landry, DE, Boston College
- Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
- Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State
- Derrick Nnadi, DT, Florida State
- Kendrick Norton, DT, Miami
- Shaq Quarterman, LB, Miami
- M.J. Stewart, CB, North Carolina
- Matthew Thomas, LB, Florida State
- Jordan Whitehead, S, Pitt
- Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
ACC Players Selected to the 2017 Preseason Maxwell Award Watch List
- Eric Dungey, QB, Syracuse
- Deondre Francois, QB, Florida State
- Quadree Henderson, WR-KR, Pitt
- Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
- Derwin James, DB, Florida State
- Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
- Harold Landry, DE, Boston College
- Dedrick Mills, RB, Georgia Tech
- Jaylen Samuels, AP, NC State
- Mark Walton, RB, Miami
- Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
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