Three Eagles Named to Watch Lists for Two Major Awards

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Three Eagles Named to Watch Lists for Two Major Awards

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. –The Maxwell Football Club today announced its watch lists for the 82nd annual Maxwell Award and the 24th annual Chuck Bednarik Award.

The Maxwell Award, named in honor of Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell, has been given to America’s College Player of the Year since 1937. Maxwell’s contributions to the game of football were extensive, including time as a player, a sportswriter and an official. The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Chuck Bednarik, a former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of ’69 and the NFL Hall of Fame’s Class of ’67.

Boston College sophomore running back AJ Dillon was named to the Maxwell Award watch list while senior defensive end Zach Allen and senior defensive back Lukas Denis were named to the Bednarik Award watch list.

Allen collected Preseason All-America accolades from Phil Steele and Athlon after finishing 2017 as just one of two defensive linemen in the nation with 100 or more tackles. An All-ACC honorable mention pick, Allen finished the season with 100 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss, and 6.0 sacks. The 15.5 TFLs ranked Allen in the top-10 in BC single-season history.

Denis was named a Preseason All-American by The Sporting News, Phil Steele and Athlon going into the 2018 season. The Everett, Mass., native was a Walter Camp Foundation All-American (second team) in 2017 as he tied for second nationally with seven interceptions. An All-ACC second-team selection, Denis was a key member of a BC defense that ranked 12^th nationally in interceptions and third in pass efficiency defense.

Dillon was named a Preseason All-American by Athlon and Phil Steele’s Magazine after a record-setting freshman campaign that ended with the ACC Rookie of the Year Award. He finished the season with 1,589 rushing yards, seventh nationally and second among all freshmen nationally. A FWAA Freshman All-American, he was the first Eagle to be named to the FWAA team since Luke Kuechly in 2009. Dillon’s 1,589 rushing yards were the most by any freshman in BC history and second in ACC history. He rushed for 1,256 rushing yards over the last seven games, the most of any player in the country.

The Maxwell and Bednarik Awards are members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 24 awards boast over
750 years of tradition-selection excellence

The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period this month. Seventeen of the association’s 24 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has
spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason.