The Maxwell Football Club has announced its watch list for the 28th Chuck Bednarik Award presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football. Irish senior defensive end Isaiah Foskey and senior safety Brandon Joseph were among the student-athletes mentioned on the list.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik who was an All American player at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multiple year All Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full time player on both offense and defense.
Isaiah Foskey Information:
- As a junior in 2021, led the Irish with 11 sacks – the third-most in a single season at Notre Dame.
- Recorded a sack in nine of 13 contests, including two multi-sack performances.
- Started all 13 games for the Irish in 2021.
- Finished the year tied at 11th in the nation with 0.85 sacks per game.
- Led the defense with 12.5 tackles for loss and finished fourth overall on the team with 52 tackles.
- A ballhawk in the trenches, as he posted six of Notre Dame’s 13 forced fumbles on the season while collecting two fumble recoveries.
- Has appeared in 29 games for the Irish with 77 career tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.
- 2021 Phil Steele Third Team All-American
- 2022 Nagurski and Bednarik Award Watch List
disruptive in the big moment pic.twitter.com/2DO5PhG4RQ
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 1, 2022
Brandon Joseph Information:
- Joins the Irish roster this season as a transfer after two All-America campaigns at Northwestern in 2020 and 2021.
- Boasts 129 career tackles with nine interceptions, including a Big Ten conference leading six interceptions in 2020.
- 2022 Walter Camp and The Sporting News Preseason All-American
- 2022 Thorpe, Nagurski and Bednarik Award Watch Lists
- 2021 Associated Press First Team All-American
- 2021 Walter Camp Award, Nagurski, Bednarik and Thorpe Award watch list selection
- 2020 AFCA Unanimous First Team All-American
- 2020 Associated Press and The Sporting News First Team All-American
- 2020 Associated Press First Team All-Big Ten
- 2020 Associated Press Big Ten Newcomer of the Year
impact safety pic.twitter.com/XwNCIcWsqC
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 1, 2022
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 1, 2022, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled November 22, 2022. The winners of the 28th Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 8, 2022. The formal presentations of the award will be made at the 86th Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala live from Atlantic City, NJ on March 10, 2023.
Notre Dame Football Preseason Award Watch List Selections (as of Aug 1):
Jayson Ademilola – Lombardi Award
JD Bertrand – Butkus Award, AFCA Good Works Team
Isaiah Foskey – Nagurski Award, Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award
Blake Grupe – Lou Groza Award
Brandon Joseph – Thorpe Award, Bednarik Award
Jack Kiser – Wuerffel Trophy
Josh Lugg – Outland Trophy
Michael Mayer – Maxwell Award, Biletnikoff Award, Mackey Award, Walter Camp Award, Lombardi Award
Chris Tyree – Doak Walker Award, Paul Hornung Award
Jarrett Patterson – Rimington Award, Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award
Michael Vinson – Patrick Mannelly Award