Northwestern University Athletics
Fisher and Gaziano Named to 2019 Bednarik Award Watch List
7/16/2019 10:53:00 AM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior linebacker Paddy Fisher and senior defensive end Joe Gaziano have been named to the 25th annual Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. The Bednarik Award is presented annually to the College Defensive Player of the Year.
Fisher, who leads the Big Ten in tackles over the past two seasons with 227, and Gaziano, who led Northwestern in sacks and tackles for a loss in 2018, figure to be pillars of the Wildcats' defensive front in 2018. Gaziano is the nation's active sacks leader with 21. Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald won the award in both 1995 and 1996 as a linebacker.
The Wildcats are two of 13 players from the Big Ten represented, including Joe Bachie (Michigan State), Markus Bailey, (Purdue), Antoine Brooks (Maryland), Carter Coughlin (Minnesota), A.J. Epenesa (Iowa), Yetur Gross-Matos (Penn State), Lavert Hill (Michigan), Josh Metellus (Michigan), Micah Parson (Penn State), Kenny Willekes (Michigan State) and Chase Young (Ohio State).
The Maxwell and Bednarik Awards are members 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.
Following is the entire 2019 preseason watch list calendar:
Monday July 15 Bednarik Award / Maxwell Award
Tuesday July 16 Davey O'Brien Award
Wednesday July 17 Doak Walker Award
Thursday July 18 Biletnikoff Award
Friday July 19 Mackey Award & Rimington Award
Monday July 22 Thorpe Award & Butkus Award
Tuesday July 23 Outland Trophy & Nagurski Award
Wednesday July 24 Groza Award & Ray Guy Award
Thursday July 25 Hornung Award & Wuerffel Trophy
Friday July 26 Walter Camp Award
Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced October 29, 2019, while the three finalists for each award will be unveiled November 25, 2019. The winners of the 2019 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2019. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel &Casino Atlantic City on March 13, 2020.
Fisher, who leads the Big Ten in tackles over the past two seasons with 227, and Gaziano, who led Northwestern in sacks and tackles for a loss in 2018, figure to be pillars of the Wildcats' defensive front in 2018. Gaziano is the nation's active sacks leader with 21. Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald won the award in both 1995 and 1996 as a linebacker.
The Wildcats are two of 13 players from the Big Ten represented, including Joe Bachie (Michigan State), Markus Bailey, (Purdue), Antoine Brooks (Maryland), Carter Coughlin (Minnesota), A.J. Epenesa (Iowa), Yetur Gross-Matos (Penn State), Lavert Hill (Michigan), Josh Metellus (Michigan), Micah Parson (Penn State), Kenny Willekes (Michigan State) and Chase Young (Ohio State).
The Maxwell and Bednarik Awards are members 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.
Following is the entire 2019 preseason watch list calendar:
Monday July 15 Bednarik Award / Maxwell Award
Tuesday July 16 Davey O'Brien Award
Wednesday July 17 Doak Walker Award
Thursday July 18 Biletnikoff Award
Friday July 19 Mackey Award & Rimington Award
Monday July 22 Thorpe Award & Butkus Award
Tuesday July 23 Outland Trophy & Nagurski Award
Wednesday July 24 Groza Award & Ray Guy Award
Thursday July 25 Hornung Award & Wuerffel Trophy
Friday July 26 Walter Camp Award
Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced October 29, 2019, while the three finalists for each award will be unveiled November 25, 2019. The winners of the 2019 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2019. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel &Casino Atlantic City on March 13, 2020.
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