DALLAS (FWAA) – Texas A&M defensive back Justin Evans has been named the
FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for
his clutch performances in the Aggies' 31-24 overtime victory over UCLA this
past Saturday in College Station.
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Evans |
Evans, a 6-1, 200-pound safety, picked off two Josh Rosen passes in the fourth quarter and also made the game-winning defensive play when he broke up a fourth-down pass at the goal line in overtime. Evans also chipped in eight tackles, two of them unassisted.
The senior from Wiggins, Miss., intercepted his first pass midway through the fourth quarter that stopped a UCLA drive at the Texas A&M 3. His other interception came with 37 seconds remaining in regulation at midfield with the score tied at 24.
Evans will be added to the Bronko Nagurski Watch List for the annual award. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Thurs., Nov. 17. The winner will be chosen from those five finalists who are part of the 2016 FWAA All-America Team.
The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association's entire membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists. The committee members then select the winner as the best defensive player in college football.
The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet, presented by ACN, will be held on Mon., Dec. 5, at the Charlotte Convention Center. In addition to the 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner's announcement, the banquet will celebrate the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award, sponsored by the CTC and Florida East Coast Railway. Navy's Chet Moeller, a member of the FWAA's 1975 All-America Team and a College Football Hall of Famer, will be honored. Duke head coach David Cutcliffe will be the keynote speaker at the banquet.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football then became a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw
"Bronko" Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
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 game-day 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.
ABOUT THE CHARLOTTE TOUCHDOWN CLUB AND ITS SPONSORS
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
touchdownclub.com.
ACN, Inc. Founded in 1993, ACN is the world's
largest direct seller of telecommunications and essential services
for residential and business customers. ACN provides the services
people need and use every day including Home Phone Service, High
Speed Internet, Wireless, Television, Home Security & Automation,
Computer Support and Natural Gas and Electricity. ACN operates in
23 countries with offices located throughout North America, Europe,
Asia and the Pacific. For more information, visit
myacn.com. For
information on ACN's home-based business opportunity, visit
acninc.com.
Florida East Coast Railway FECR is a regional
freight railroad that extends along a 351-mile corridor between
Jacksonville, Fla., and Miami, Fla., with exclusive rail access
to the Port of Palm Beach, Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale) and
the Port of Miami. For more information, visit
fecrwy.com.
Electrolux Electrolux is a global leader
in appliances for household and professional use, selling more than
50 million products to customers in more than 150 countries every
year. The company focuses on innovations that are thoughtfully designed,
based on extensive consumer insight, to meet the real needs of consumers
and professionals. Electrolux products include refrigerators, dishwashers,
washing machines, vacuum cleaners, cookers and air-conditioners
sold under esteemed brands such as Electrolux, Frigidaire, Kelvinator,
AEG, and Eureka. In 2012, Electrolux had sales of $17 billion ($5.1
billion in North America) and 58,000 employees. The Electrolux North
American headquarters is located at 10200 David Taylor Drive, Charlotte,
NC 28262 in the University Research Park. For more information visit
http://newsroom.electrolux.com/us/.
2016 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week
• Weekend of Sept. 3: Justin Evans, Texas A&M
• Weekend of Sept. 10: Sunia Tauteoli, Utah
• Weekend of Sept. 17: Steven Taylor, Houston
• Weekend of Sept. 24: Travon Blanchard, Baylor
• Weekend of Oct. 1: Ben Boulware, Clemson
• Weekend of Oct. 8: Josiah Powell, Navy
• Weekend of Oct. 15: Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt
• Weekend of Oct. 22: Jonathan Allen, Alabama
• Weekend of Oct. 29: Jarron Jones, Notre Dame
• Weekend of Nov. 5: Drico Johnson, UCF
2016 FWAA ALL-AMERICA
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