Football: Six Buckeyes Named to Maxwell, Bednarik Award Watch Lists – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Awards honor the top offensive and defensive players in the nation
COLUMBUS, Ohio Six different Buckeyes were chosen among the top offensive and defensive players to watch this season in college football when Ron Jaworski, Maxwell Football Club president, Monday announced the 2008 Watch Lists for the 72nd Maxwell Award and the 14th Chuck Bednarik Award.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell. 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. Mr. Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame ’69 and the NFL Hall of Fame ’67.
Named to the Maxwell watch list is senior quarterback Todd Boeckman, senior wide receiver Brian Robiskie and junior running back Chris Wells. Senior linebackers Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis joined senior cornerback Malcolm Jenkins on the Bednarik watch list.
Boeckman, a first-team All-Big Ten performer last season, returns at quarterback after leading the Big Ten in passing efficiency (148.9) and ranking 13th nationally in his first year as a starter. The St. Henry, Ohio, native passed for 2,379 yards the fifth most by a Buckeye all-time and 25 touchdowns in 2007.
Robiskie led Ohio State with 55 receptions for 935 yards last year. A first-team Academic All-American, Robiskie grabbed 11 touchdowns and led the Big Ten with 17.7 yards per catch during the regular season.
Wells, one of college football’s most powerful rushers, racked up 1,609 yards the most by a sophomore in Ohio State history and 15 touchdowns in 2007. He recorded nine 100-yard games last season, including 146 yards in the BCS title game and a Michigan-game record 222 yards. He was named first-team All-Big Ten and a second-team All-American.
A consensus All-American the last two seasons, Laurinaitis anchored the nation’s top-ranked defense in 2007 with a team-high 121 tackles. He was the Big Ten’s 2007 Defensive Player of the Year and the recipient of the 2007 Butkus and 2006 Nagurski Awards. The Hamel, Minn., native set a BCS title game record with 18 tackles against LSU.
Lining up alongside Laurinaitis will be Freeman who was second last season with 109 tackles while leading the Buckeyes with 66 solo stops. He recorded four games last season with double-digit tackles and was named second-team All-Big Ten for his efforts.
Jenkins is a two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree and has started every game during the past two seasons. He was a second-team All-American last season and a Thorpe Award semifinalist. Last season Jenkins helped the Buckeye secondary lead the nation in pass and pass efficiency defense. He led the team with four interceptions for 53 yards to compliment 47 tackles.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced in early November and three finalists for each award will be announced November 25. The winners of the 2008 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah’s Entertainment Atlantic City March 6, 2009.
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 2008 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.
Any questions or requests for additional information can be directed to Maxwell Club executive director Bob Clark (bobclark@maxwellfootballclub.org) or to Maxwell Club vice president of college awards Mark Wolpert (mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org).
