Three MAC Students Named To 2019 Bednarik Award Watch List
Three MAC Students Named To 2019 Bednarik Award Watch List
The Maxwell Football Club today announced its watch list for the 25th annual Chuck Bednarik Award, which has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Bednarik, a former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, 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.
Representing the MAC are Miami DT Doug Costin, Northern Illinois LB Antonio Jones-Davis and Eastern Michigan DB Kevin McGill.
Costin, a native of West Chester, Pa., was named All-MAC Second Team last year as he started all 12 games and posted 52 total tackles, 28 solo, 10.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three passes defensed and two forced fumbles. Costin led the RedHawks with seven sacks and his 10.5 tackles for loss ranked second on the team.
Jones-Davis, a native of Vero Beach, Fla., was named All-MAC First Team last year as he led the Huskies with 130 total tackles, 76 solo, along with 14.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and six passes defensed. He was part of a Huskie defense that helped NIU capture the 2018 Marathon MAC Football Championship with a 30-29 win over Buffalo. NIU was the top ranked run defense in the MAC with allowing only 109.2 yards per game and ranked second in the league in scoring defense with allowing 22.6 points per game.
McGill, a native of Waldorf, Md., was named All-MAC Second Team last season as he posted 38 total tackles, 24 solo, with 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and nine passes defensed. McGill was part of a Eastern Michigan defense that ranked No. 1 in the MAC with allowing only 22.1 points per game and was the top ranked pass defense in the league with only 150.2 passing yards allowed per game.
Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced October 29, 2019, while three finalists will be unveiled November 25, 2019. The winner of the 2019 Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2019. The formal presentation of this award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 13, 2020.
The Bednarik Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association. The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period this month. Seventeen of the association’s 25 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.
