DALLAS (FWAA) – Kansas State defensive end
Felix Anudike-Uzomah tied a school record with
four sacks as part of eight total tackles to go with two forced
fumbles as Kansas State (5-3) blasted TCU, 31-12, last Saturday.
For the dominant performance that tied a 21-year-old school record, Anudike-Uzomah
earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of
the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 30, as
selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
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Felix Anudike-Uzomah
(K-State Athletics) |
This is the fifth time for a Kansas State player to earn this
weekly honor and first since last season when safety Jahron McPherson
was the pick for the weekend of Sept. 26. Anudike-Uzomah will be
added to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.
The 6-3, 255-pound sophomore from Lee's Summit, Mo., posted sacks
on three consecutive plays at one point, finishing the first half
with sacks on consecutive plays and then scoring one on TCU's first
snap of the third quarter. The 4.0 sacks tie Chris Johnson's single-game
school record posted against Missouri in 2000.
Anudike-Uzomah was close to tying the all-time FBS
single-game record for
sacks. His two forced fumbles came on potential sacks
that caused the ball to be recovered beyond the original line of
scrimmage, thus officially making them rushes instead of sacks by
NCAA rule. If the ball had been recovered on the TCU side of the
line – regardless of who recovered – those two would have been counted
as sacks to give him six on the day to tie a FBS record and break
the Big 12 mark.
Anudike-Uzomah is second in the FBS in sacks (10) and forced
fumbles (4) and leads the Big 12 in both categories. He is just
1.5 sacks shy of tying the school single-season record with at least
four games remaining, and is 13th nationally in tackles for loss
(11.5), also tops in the Big 12.
The Wildcats travel to Kansas for the 119th annual Sunshine Showdown
at 11 a.m. CT Saturday on FS1.
Each Tuesday during the regular season, the FWAA has selected
a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week since 2001.
The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce three finalists
for the 2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 17. The national defensive
player of the year will be chosen from those finalists who are part
of the 2021 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy
at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet presented by LendingTree
on Dec. 6 at the Charlotte Convention Center
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.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America
consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers
and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works
to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards
and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information
about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive
Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or
tiger@fwaa.com.
About the Charlotte Touchdown Club
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. Since 1990, the club has raised and donated
nearly $3 million 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.
About LendingTree, Inc.
LendingTree is the nation's leading online marketplace that connects
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2021 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week •
Weekend of Sept. 4: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia •
Weekend of Sept. 11: Verone McKinley III, S, Oregon •
Weekend of Sept. 18: Jared Bartlett, DE, West Virginia •
Weekend of Sept. 25: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa •
Weekend of Oct. 2: Khoury Bethley, S, Hawaii •
Weekend of Oct. 9: Matt Hankins, CB, Iowa •
Weekend of Oct. 16: Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama •
Weekend of Oct. 23: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE/LB, Oregon •
Weekend of Oct. 30: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State •
Weekend of Nov. 6: Steven Jones Jr., CB, App State
Related links:
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy (All-Time Winners, Finalists and Players of the Week)
• Download the Bronko Nagurski Trophy presented by LendingTree logo:
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