University of Houston Athletics
Houston Duo Named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List
7/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOUSTON -- For the third time this week, Houston Football was recognized with individuals on a national watch list as senior cornerback William Jackson III and senior safety Adrian McDonald were named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America announced on Friday.
Three American Athletic Conference players were named to the Nagurski Watch List, two coming from Houston and one from Temple.
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The lockdown corner who played in man coverage most of 2014, Jackson was named to the 2014 American Athletic Conference Second Team after finishing second in the league with 10 pass breakups and two interceptions with 37 tackles on the year. Jackson also had one fumble recovery and one forced fumble on the year.
Friday's announcement is the latest preseason honor for Jackson who was named to the Bednarik Award Watch List earlier this week and tabbed a preseason Third-Team All-American by Phil Steele. Jackson was also named to Steele's and Athlon's Preseason First Team All-American Athletic Conference Team.
McDonald joins Jackson with multiple preseason honors after being named the top defensive back in Texas by Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine in the veteran prognosticator's annual preseason publication.
McDonald, who was also named to Campbell's five-man Texas' College Player of the Year watch list, was named to The American's Preseason First Team by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.
McDonald was tabbed a 2014 American Athletic Conference First Team honoree after leading the league with eight total turnovers. The Lawton, Okla., native was third in the league with five interceptions and second with three fumble recoveries. The senior finished fifth in the league with three forced fumbles and third on the Houston team with 75 tackles.
Earlier this week, Houston's Kenneth Farrow and Kyle Bullard were named to the Maxwell and Lou Groza Award Watch Lists, respectively, honoring the nation's top offensive player and kicker. 2015 marks the second straight season Houston has had a representative on the Nagurski Watch List after Derrick Mathews was named to the list a year ago.
ABOUT THE AWARD
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from those five finalists who are part of the 2014 FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association's entire membership, selects the 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner, the best defensive player in college football during the FWAA's 75th anniversary year.
The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet, presented by ACN, will be held on Dec. 7 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte. In addition to the 2015 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner's announcement, the banquet will also celebrate the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award, sponsored by the CTC and Florida East Coast Railway. Ohio State's Randy Gradishar, a member of the FWAA's 1973 All-America team and a College Football Hall of Famer, will be honored. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn will be the keynote speaker at the banquet.
The FWAA has named a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football then became a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw "Bronko" Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
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