Boston College Athletics
Kuechly Named Finalist For Bronko Nagurski Trophy
November 17, 2010 | Football
Nov. 17, 2010
Boston College sophomore LB Luke Kuechly has been named one of five finalists for the 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, announced Wednesday by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.
Clemson DE Da'Quan Bowers, Auburn DT Nick Fairley, Georgia LB Justin Houston and LSU CB Patrick Peterson are the other finalists vying for one of FWAA's highest honors, its National Defensive Player of the Year award.
Kuechly, who leads the country with 146 tackles and 83 solo stops, is the only sophomore on the list. He is the first player since 2006 to rack up 20 or more tackles in a game twice in the same season. He set a new career high with 21 tackles last weekend at Duke which is tied for the best performance in the FBS this year.
The Cincinnati, OH product has recorded 19 straight games with 10 or more tackles. He is currently the active NCAA leader in tackles (13.2) and solo stops (7.4) per game.
The winner of the award will be announced December 6 and presented the Bronko Nagurski Trophy at a gala banquet at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, NC, where Clemson coach Dabo Swinney will be the keynote speaker.
The FWAA's National Defensive Player of the Year Award is named after Bronko Nagurski, who dominated college football at the University of Minnesota as a bruising fullback and defensive tackle from 1927-29. He could have been an All-American at any position, playing 60 minutes as the best player wherever he lined up.
A look at the five 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists, as selected by the FWAA All-America Committee:
Da'Quan Bowers, End, Clemson, 6-4, 275, Jr. (Bamberg, S.C): Big-play pass rusher who leads the nation in quarterback sacks with 13.5 through 10 games (1.35 per game). He is second in the country in tackles for loss with 22. Last Saturday, he had nine tackles, one quarterback sack, two tackles for loss and a pass interception in the Tigers' 16-13 loss to Florida State.
Nick Fairley, Tackle, Auburn, 6-5, 298, Jr. (Mobile, Ala.): Dominator in the interior of unbeaten Auburn's defensive line. He ranks eighth in the country in tackles for loss with 18, 1.64 per game for the No. 2-ranked Tigers. He has 47 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, one interception, 18 quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery.
Justin Houston, Linebacker, Georgia, 6-3, 258, Jr. (Statesboro, Ga.): He has posted 47 quarterback hurries and made 50 tackles (29 unassisted). Of that total, 17.5 tackles have been for losses of 79 yards, including 10 sacks for 67 yards. He has two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
Luke Kuechly, Linebacker, Boston College, 6-3, 235, So. (Cincinnati, Ohio): The sophomore leads the nation in tackles per game with 14.6 (146 tackles - 83 unassisted - in 10 games). He also checks in with two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and nine tackles for loss. He had a career-high 21 tackles in leading the Eagles to a 21-16 win over Duke last Saturday.
Patrick Peterson, Cornerback, LSU 6-1, 222, Jr. (Pompano Beach, Fla.): Perhaps the biggest star on LSU's stellar defense. From his cornerback position, he has made 21 unassisted tackles and seven assisted. He has a half-tackle for loss, two interceptions (46 yards in returns), three passes broken up, five deflections, one quarterback hurry and one blocked kick.
