DALLAS (FWAA) – Mississippi State linebacker Chris White has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Oct. 16.

White

White, a 6-4, 245-pound senior from Vancleave, Miss., registered 11 total tackles (nine unassisted), including 4.5 for 20 yards in losses during Mississippi State's 10-7 victory at Florida. White sacked the Florida quarterback twice for minus-16 yards.

The Bulldog defense held Florida to its lowest point total in five years and the Gators to only 25 total yards in the first quarter and 17 rushing yards on 17 attempts in the first half. The win snapped Mississippi State's 16-game losing streak in Gainesville, dating back to 1965.

White will be added to the 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 6 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. The keynote address will be given by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and Notre Dame's Mike McCoy from the Class of 1969 will receive this year's Bronko Nagurski Legends Award. Five finalists for the Nagurski Trophy will be announced on Nov. 18.

Each week during the 2010 season the FWAA All-America Committee has selected a national defensive player of the week from nominations made by the 11 Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences and major independents.

Last season, Nebraska tackle Ndamukong Suh won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 15th season the FWAA named a national defensive player of the year.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is www.touchdownclub.com.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or 972-713-6198.

2010 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week
• Sept. 4: Kenny Tate, Maryland
• Sept. 11: Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State
• Sept. 18: Patrick Larimore, UCLA
• Sept. 25: Robert Lester, Alabama
• Oct. 2: Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech
• Oct. 9: Tramain Thomas, Arkansas
• Oct. 16: Chris White, Mississippi State
• Oct. 23: J.J. Watt, Wisconsin
• Oct. 30: Sio Moore, Connecticut
• Nov. 6: Michael Hodges, Texas A&M