PROVO, Utah — Maxwell Football Club President, Ron Jaworski, announced the 2013 Semifinalists for the 19th Chuck Bednarik Award for the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. BYU All-American linebacker Kyle Van Noy has been named one of 16 candidates for the Bednarik Award as selected by the Maxwell Football Club National Selection Committee.
The field of contenders for the Chuck Bednarik Award is comprised of fresh faces with all making their debuts as semifinalists. In addition to Van Noy, six different conferences are represented, led by five student-athletes from the ACC. Sophomore defensive end Leonard Williams of USC is the lone underclassman on the 2013 list.
A candidate for many national awards, Van Noy has recently been named a semifinalst for the Butkus Award and a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy. He was named to seven preseason award watch lists and has garnered preseason and midseason first-team All-America recognition in 2013 for his unique talents and stellar performances.
Van Noy has recorded four sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hurries, six pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one interception for a touchdown this year in addition to recording a safety among his 47 tackles.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior outside backer is the only FBS player the past two seasons to record a statistic in every major defensive category while also scoring a BYU record five touchdowns as a defender over his career. He has scored a touchdown during each season at BYU, including two pick-six interception returns and three fumble recoveries for TDs, and added a safety to his points-producing resume this year.
To learn more about Kyle Van Noy and see photos and highlights go to KVN3.com.
Last season, the Bednarik Award went to linebacker Manti Te’o of Notre Dame. Te’o is currently a member of the San Diego Chargers.
The winner of the 19th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show, which will be broadcast on ESPN on Dec. 12, 2013. Three finalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 25, 2013 and a second round of voting will take place at that time. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club's Awards Dinner on Friday, February 28, 2014 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Semifinalist voting will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 30th and close on Sunday, Nov. 24th. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA Head Football Coaches, Sports Information Directors and selected national media. All Semifinalists are listed in alphabetical order with the player's school, position and class designated.
The Chuck Bednarik Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
2013 Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalists: