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DALLAS (FWAA) — The 2017 Bronko Nagurski
Trophy Watch List boasts 103 defensive standouts from all
10 Division I FBS conferences, including four returning players
from last season’s Football Writers Association of America
All-America team.
 Christian
Wilkins, a defensive tackle for defending national champion Clemson,
and Florida State defensive back Tarvarus McFadden are the only 2016
FWAA first-teamers on the list. Two other 2016 second-teamers –
Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver and Virginia linebacker Micah
Kiser – are included along with NIU defensive back Shawun Lurry,
a 2015 First-Team FWAA All-America player.
The Atlantic Coast Conference led all conferences with 20 players
on the watch list, followed by the Big Ten (16), SEC (14), Pac-12
(13), Big 12 (11), American Athletic (10), Sun Belt (6), Mountain
West (5), Independents (3), Mid-American (3) and Conference USA
(2). The list includes 30 defensive backs, 29 linebackers, 25 defensive
ends and 19 defensive tackles, all vying for the award representing
college football’s best defensive player.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the
course of the season. As in previous seasons, the FWAA will announce
a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday throughout
the season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored
player will be added at that time. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown
Club will announce five finalists for the 2017 Bronko Nagurski Trophy
on Thurs., Nov. 16.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from those five
finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from
the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America
Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members,
by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best
defensive player in college football.
The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet, presented by ACN,
will be held on Mon., Dec. 4 at the Charlotte Convention Center.
In addition to the 2017 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner’s announcement,
the banquet will also celebrate the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski
Legends Award, sponsored by the CTC and Florida East Coast Railway.
Notre Dame’s Ross Browner, a member of the FWAA’s 1976 and 1977
All-America Teams, the 1976 Outland Trophy winner and a College
Football Hall of Famer, will be honored. Georgia head coach Kirby
Smart will be the keynote speaker at the banquet.
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2017 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (103) |
| DB Jaire Alexander, Louisville |
DE Harold Landry, Boston College |
| DB Marcus Allen, Penn State |
DE Justin Lawler, SMU |
| DE Dorance Armstrong Jr., Kansas |
DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson |
| DB Dravon Askew-Henry, West Virginia |
DE Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State |
| LB Alex Aukerman, Army West Point |
DE James Looney, California |
| LB Genard Avery, Memphis |
DT Lowell Lotulelei, Utah |
| DT Drew Bailey, Louisville |
DB Shawun Lurry, NIU |
| LB Jerome Baker, Ohio State |
DB Iman Marshall, USC |
| DB Quin Blanding, Virginia |
DE Hercules Mata'afa, Washington
State |
| LB Eric Boggs, Appalachian State |
DB Tarvarus McFadden, Florida State |
| DE Nick Bosa, Ohio State |
DB Quenton Meeks, Stanford |
| DB Blace Brown, Troy |
DT David Moa, Boise State |
| LB Jason Cabinda, Penn State |
LB Skai Moore, South Carolina |
| LB Steve Casali, Massachusetts |
LB Nyles Morgan, Notre Dame |
| DB Andre Chachere, San Jose State |
DB Deatrick Nichols, USF |
| DB Sean Chandler, Temple |
DT Derrick Nnadi, Florida State |
| DE Bradley Chubb, N.C. State |
DT Kendrick Norton, Miami |
| LB Jack Cichy, Wisconsin |
LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma |
| DE Aikeem Coleman, Idaho |
DT Ed Oliver, Houston |
| DB Duke Dawson, Florida |
DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama |
| DB D'Cota Dixon, Wisconsin |
LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami |
| LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
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DB Taylor Rapp, Washington |
| DE Duke Ejiofor, Wake Forest |
DB Jeremy Reaves, South Alabama |
| LB Emmanuel Ellerbee, Rice |
DB D.J. Reed, Kansas State |
| LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama |
DE Malik Reed, Nevada |
| DB Rashard Fant, Indiana |
DT Steven Richardson, Minnesota |
| DT Folorunso Fatukasi, UConn |
DE Malcolm Roach, Texas |
| DE Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech |
DE Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas
State |
| DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama |
LB Auggie Sanchez, USF |
| DE Marcell Frazier, Missouri |
LB Tegray Scales, Indiana |
| DT Greg Gaines, Washington |
DT Deadrin Senat, USF |
| DE Rashan Gary, Michigan |
DE Conor Sheehy, Wisconsin |
| DT Will Geary, Kansas State |
DE K.J. Smith, Baylor |
| LB Ulysees Gilbert III, Akron |
LB Cameron Smith, USC |
| DT Rasheem Green, USC |
DE Josh Sweat, Florida State |
| LB Shaquem Griffin, UCF |
LB Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii |
| DB Chase Hansen, Utah |
DE Chad Thomas, Miami |
| DB Heath Harding, Miami (Ohio) |
LB Micah Thomas, Navy |
| DB Ronnie Harrison, Alabama |
DB Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma |
| DE Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss |
DT Trent Thompson, Georgia |
| LB James Hearns, Louisville |
DB Kevin Toliver, LSU |
| DT B.J. Hill, N.C. State |
DT Vita Vea, Washington |
| LB Travin Howard, TCU |
LB Azeem Victor, Washington |
| DE Sam Hubbard, Ohio State |
DE Reggie Walker, Kansas State |
| DT Maurice Hurst, Michigan |
DB Armani Watts, Texas A&M |
| DB Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern |
DB Jordan Whitehead, Pitt |
| DB Derwin James, Florida State |
DE JoJo Wicker, Arizona State |
| LB Malik Jefferson, Texas |
DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson |
| LB Josey Jewell, Iowa |
DB Andrew Wingard, Wyoming |
| LB Jordan Jones, Kentucky |
DB Jaden Wright, New Mexico State |
| LB Arden Key, LSU |
DE Jabari Zuniga, Florida |
| LB Micah Kiser, Virginia |
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By conference: ACC 20, Big Ten 16, SEC 14, Pac-12
13, Big 12 11, American Athletic 10, Sun Belt 6, Mountain
West 5, Independents 3, Mid-American 3, Conference USA 2. |
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By position: Backs 30, Linebackers 29, Ends 25, Tackles
19. |
| Players
may be added or removed from the list before or during the
season |
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 college football’s
most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 23 awards
now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to
learn more about our story.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch
lists over a two-week period this month. Sixteen of the association’s
23 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded
a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.
Following is the complete 2017 preseason watch list calendar:
Mon., July 10: Bednarik Award/Maxwell Award
Tues., July 11:
Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Wed., July 12: Lou Groza Award/Ray
Guy Award
Thurs., July 13: Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy
Fri., July 14: Jim Thorpe Award
Mon., July 17: Butkus Award/Paul
Hornung Award
Tues., July 18: Biletnikoff Award/Wuerffel Trophy
Wed., July 19: Davey O’Brien Award
Thurs., July 20: Doak Walker
Award
Fri., July 21: Walter Camp Award
The Football Writers Association of America,
founded in 1941, 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 1991 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. Since 1991, the club has raised more
than $2,000,000 to benefit area high school and collegiate athletics.
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, energy and essential
services for residential and business customers. ACN provides the
services people need and use every day including phone service,
high-speed internet, wireless, television, security and automation,
computer support, payment processing and natural gas and electricity.
ACN operates in 25 countries with offices located throughout North
America, Europe, Latin America, 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/.
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