The Maxwell Football Club today announced its watch lists for the 75th annual Maxwell Award and the 17th annual Bednarik Award.
The Maxwell Award has been given to America’s outstanding collegiate football player since 1937 and is named in honor of sportswriter Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell. The Bednarik Award 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.
As always, the watch lists incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast. Returning Maxwell Award semifinalists from 2010 include Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles, Baylor QB Robert Griffin, Oregon RB LaMichael James, Stanford QB Andrew Luck, Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez, Boise State QB Kellen Moore, and Michigan QB Denard Robinson.
The Bednarik Award watch list features just three of last season’s semifinalists, Florida State DE Brandon Jenkins, Boston College LB Luke Kuechly, and Notre Dame LB Manti Te’o.
The 2010 Maxwell Award winner, QB Cam Newton of Auburn, and Bednarik Award winner, LSU CB Patrick Peterson, both left school early following their junior seasons. Newton was selected No. 1 overall by the Carolina Panthers, while Peterson was taken fifth in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced October 31st and the three finalists for each award will be unveiled November 21st. The winners of the 2011 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held on December 8th. The formal presentation of these awards 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.
The Maxwell and Bednarik Awards are members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, ncfaa.org.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 13-day period this month. Fifteen of the association’s 21 awards select a preseason watch list and this is the first time the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2011 preseason watch list calendar:
Tues., July 5: Maxwell Award/Bednarik Award
Wed., July 6: Biletnikoff Award/Mackey Award
Thurs., July 7: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Fri., July 8: Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy
Mon., July 11: Jim Thorpe Award
Tues., July 12: Rotary Lombardi Award
Wed., July 13: Rimington Trophy
Thurs., July 14: Butkus Award
Fri., July 15: Davey O’Brien Award/Doak Walker Award
Mon., July 18: Walter Camp Award
Any questions or requests for additional information can be directed to Maxwell Club Executive Director Mark Wolpert (mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org) or to Maxwell Club Director of College Awards Richard Cirminiello (rcirminiello@maxwellfootballclub.org)
