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Three Named to Bednarik Award Watch List

by Bill Martin (@LSUBillMartin)
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Three Named to Bednarik Award Watch List

PHILADELPHIA – Three LSU football players – defensive tackle Anthony Johnson, linebacker Lamin Barrow and safety Craig Loston – were recognized on the watch list for the Bednarik Award, which is presented annually to college football’s National Defensive Player of the Year, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday.

Both LSU and Alabama lead the Southeastern Conference with three players on the list. Only six teams nationally have at least three players on the list. LSU is the only school in SEC history to claim multiple Bednarik Awards when Patrick Peterson (2010) and Tyrann Mathieu (2011) won it in back-to-back years.

Johnson, a junior from New Orleans, serves as the Tigers’ veteran defensive lineman with 27 games played to his credit. In two seasons, he has recorded 42 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and four sacks. In a reserve role last season, he finished third on the team with 10 tackles for loss.

Barrow, a native of Marrero, La., is LSU’s top returning tackler after racking up 104 total tackles as a junior, which ranked second on the squad. He added 7.5 tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries and five pass breakups. He will assume the leadership role on the defensive side of the ball as a senior after the departure of Kevin Minter.

Loston, a senior from Houston, has made several pre-season All-America teams as one of the nation’s elite safety prospects. In 35 career games, Loston has notched 91 tackles and six takeaways (four interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery).

Loston was a second-team All-SEC recipient as a junior after ranking fifth on the team in tackles with 55 and second in interceptions with three. He is one of only three players in school history to return an interception 100 yards for a touchdown as he joined the list in the fourth quarter of a 37-17 blowout win over Mississippi State.

The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced Oct. 29, while the three finalists will be unveiled Nov. 18. The winner of the 2013 Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show during the first week of December.

Maxwell Award – Mettenberger
Bednarik Award – Barrow, Johnson, Loston

2013 Bednarik Award Watch List
(Listed by Team)

Deion Belue, CB, Alabama
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama
Jake Fischer, LB, Arizona
Carl Bradford, DE, Arizona State
Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State
Chris Smith, DE, Arkansas
Ryan Carrethers, DT, Arkansas State
Dee Ford, DE, Auburn
Bryce Hager, LB, Baylor
Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo
Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU
Greg Blair, LB, Cincinnati
Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson
Chidera Uzo-Diribe, DE, Colorado
Yawin Smallwood, LB, Connecticut
Dominique Easley, DT, Florida
Loucheiz Purifoy, CB, Florida
Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State
Christian Jones, LB, Florida State
Lamarcus Joyner, S, Florida State
Derron Smith, S, Fresno State
Jeremiah Attaochu, DE, Georgia Tech
Jemea Thomas, CB, Georgia Tech
Jonathan Brown, LB, Illinois
James Morris, LB, Iowa
Ty Zimmerman, S, Kansas State
Roosevelt Nix, DT, Kent State
Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville
Hakeem Smith, S, Louisville
Lamin Barrow, LB, LSU
Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU
Craig Loston, S, LSU
Max Bullough, LB, Michigan State
Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota
Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State
E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri
Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina
Bennett Jackson, CB, Notre Dame
Louis Nix III, DT, Notre Dame
Prince Shembo, LB, Notre Dame
Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame
C.J. Barnett, S, Ohio State
Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State
Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma
Calvin Barnett, DT, Oklahoma State
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State
Deion Barnes, DE, Penn State
Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
Jamal Merrell, LB, Rutgers
Jake Fely, LB, San Diego State
Bene Benwikere, CB, San Jose State
Travis Raciti, DT, San Jose State
Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
Ben Gardner, DE, Stanford
Trent Murphy, LB, Stanford
Shayne Skov, LB, Stanford
Devonte Fields, DE, TCU
Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee
Daniel McCullers, DT, Tennessee
Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas
Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
Morgan Breslin, DE, USC
Leonard Williams, DT, USC
DeDe Lattimore, LB, USF
Andre Hal, CB, Vanderbilt
James Gayle, DE, Virginia Tech
Nikita Whitlock, DT, Wake Forest
Andrew Jackson, LB, Western Kentucky
Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin