Three Bruins on Bednarik Award watch list

Bruin senior linebacker Reggie Carter, senior cornerback Alterraun Verner and junior tackle Brian Price are all on the Bednarik Award watch list. Here’s the release:

THREE BRUINS HIGHLIGHT BEDNARIK AWARD WATCH LIST

Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski today announced the 2009 Watch List for the 15th Chuck Bednarik Award, presented annually to the nation’s top defensive player. The list is highlighted by three members of the UCLA football team and comprised of fifty-five players who were selected based on their performance during the 2008 season.

Bruin senior linebacker Reggie Carter, senior cornerback Alterraun Verner and junior tackle Brian Price give UCLA as many players on the Watch List as any school in the nation (Penn State also has three). Overall, there are nine players from the Pac-10 on the list and three are Bruins.

Last season, Carter led the Bruins with 83 tackles. Verner was second with 73 and led the nation in passes defensed while Price earned All-Pac-10 first-team honors while leading the team with 14.0 tackles for losses.

The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented since 1995 and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, a former University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Eagle great. Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame (1969) and the NFL Hall of Fame (1967).

Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced on November 4th and three finalists for the award will be announced November 23rd. The winner of the 2009 Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show which will be held on December 10, 2009. The formal presentation of this award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah’s Entertainment Atlantic City on March 5, 2010.

The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club’s Selection Committee and the Maxwell Club reserves the right to make additions and subtractions to these lists as the 2009 season unfolds.

All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA Sports Information Directors, Head Coaches and selected national media are eligible to vote for these awards.S.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized by Jill Painter. Bookmark the permalink.

About Jill Painter

Jill Painter is a sports columnist for the Los Angeles News Group, covering everything from the Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers, USC, UCLA, Kings, golf and all human interest stories in sports.