Maxwell Football Club Announces Maxwell And Bednarik Watch Lists

Written by: David Mika on Wednesday, October 13th, 2010. Follow David Mika on Twitter.

The Maxwell Football Club (MFC) today announced the watch lists for the 74th annual Maxwell Award and 16th annual Chuck Bednarik Award.

45 FBS schools, representing 10 conferences, are represented on the 2010 Maxwell Award list; 45 FBS schools from 11 conferences are on the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

There are several familiar names on the Maxwell Watch List. Seven players- Noel Devine (West Virginia), Mark Ingram (Alabama), Case Keenum (Houston), Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh), Kellen Moore (Boise State), Christian Ponder (Florida State) and Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State) landed on the Maxwell Award’s semi-finalist list in 2009; Ingram was a Maxwell finalist.

Two defenders- Greg Jones (Michigan State) and Von Miller (Texas A&M) were Bednarik semi-finalists in 2009. Watch list member Mark Herzlich (Boston College) was awarded the Tom Brookshier Spirit Award at the 2010 MFC National Awards Dinner.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America since 1937 and is named in honor of sportswriter Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell. The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented to the nation’s top defensive player since 1995. Mr. Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame 69′ and the NFL Hall of Fame 67′.

Colt McCoy of the University of Texas was the recipient of the 73rd Maxwell Award and Ndamukong Suh from the University of Nebraska was awarded the 15th Chuck Bednarik Award for their outstanding performances during the 2008 season. The two men were selected by the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions respectively in this April’s NFL Draft.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced on November 8th and three finalists for each award will be announced November 22nd. The winners of the 2010 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show which will be held on December 9, 2010. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah’s Entertainment Atlantic City on March 4, 2011.

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 2010 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.

The Maxwell and Chuck Bednarik Awards are members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, ncfaa.org.

Any questions or requests for additional information can be directed to Maxwell Club Executive Director Mark Wolpert (mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org) or to Maxwell Club Director of College Awards Richard Cirminiello (rcirminiello@maxwellfootballclub.org)

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