Temple University Athletics
Football's Maijeh on the Bednarik Award Watch List
7.13.20 | Football
PHILADELPHIA - The Maxwell Football Club today announced its watch list for the 26th annual Chuck Bednarik Award presented annually to the most outstanding defensive player in college football. Temple's redshirt junior defensive tackle is among 90 total players and five from the American Athletic Conference.
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Maijeh had a breakout season in 2019 with career-bests in tackles (52), TFLs (10.0) and sacks (6.5) earning first team All-American Athletic Conference honors. He used his quick hands and explosive first step to notch at least a partial sack in each of the first six games. By midseason, the Far Rockaway, N.Y., native's play warranted constant double-teams opening up pass rushing lanes for teammate Quincy Roche who collected 10.0 sacks in November, on his way to AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
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The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995 and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik a former standout at the University of Pennsylvania and with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bednarik 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.
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Temple's Tyler Matakevich won the award in 2015.
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The Bednarik Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, and will feature fresh faces, as 2019 winner Chase Young (Ohio State) and finalists Derrick Brown (Auburn) and Isaiah Simmons (Clemson) have all moved on to the NFL.
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Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced November 3, 2020, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled November 23, 2020. The winner of the 2020 Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 10, 2020. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 12, 2021.
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Maijeh had a breakout season in 2019 with career-bests in tackles (52), TFLs (10.0) and sacks (6.5) earning first team All-American Athletic Conference honors. He used his quick hands and explosive first step to notch at least a partial sack in each of the first six games. By midseason, the Far Rockaway, N.Y., native's play warranted constant double-teams opening up pass rushing lanes for teammate Quincy Roche who collected 10.0 sacks in November, on his way to AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Â
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995 and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik a former standout at the University of Pennsylvania and with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bednarik 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.
Â
Temple's Tyler Matakevich won the award in 2015.
Â
The Bednarik Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, and will feature fresh faces, as 2019 winner Chase Young (Ohio State) and finalists Derrick Brown (Auburn) and Isaiah Simmons (Clemson) have all moved on to the NFL.
Â
Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced November 3, 2020, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled November 23, 2020. The winner of the 2020 Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 10, 2020. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 12, 2021.
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Players Mentioned
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