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Once again, these nominations are basically a recognition of talent coming back to school after successful previous seasons, and potential for another good season. You don't have to be on the watch list to win the award, but again, it's nice to know someone's thinking about you.
Trey Flowers has been named to the 76-man watch list for the 20th annual Chuck Bednarik Award as announced by The Maxwell Football Club Monday.
Flowers was a second-team All-SEC performer in 2013, finishing the season with 44 tackles, including 13.5 for loss with 5.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception, two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries. The Huntsville, Ala., native ranked second in the SEC and 34th in the NCAA with an average of 1.23 tackles for loss per game, and his tackles for loss total ranked fourth in the conference. His three forced fumbles tied for the second-highest total in the SEC and 23rd in the nation in 2013. In his career, Flowers has registered 122 tackles, 32.0 for loss with 12.0 sacks, 17 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, seven pass breakups and one interception. He enters his senior campaign tied for 11th on Arkansas' career tackles for loss list and tied for 16th on the school's career sacks list.
Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced November 3, 2014, while the three finalists will be unveiled November 24, 2014. The winner will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 11, 2014.
The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club's selection committee, which analyzes both past performance and future potential. The Club reserves the right to make additions and deletions to these lists as the 2014 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA sports information directors, FBS head coaches and selected national media are eligible to vote for the awards.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995 and is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles. He 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.
The Bednarik Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football.