3 Pitt players named to Bednarik watch list

Michael Love
Monday, July 13, 2020 12:26 p.m. | Monday, July 13, 2020 12:26 p.m.

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Pitt defensive lineman Jaylen Twyman (97) sacks Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke (12) during the second half Sept. 7, 2019, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

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Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons (11) tackles Purdue running back King Doerue (22) during a Big Ten game Oct. 5, 2019, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.

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Pitt defensive lineman Patrick Jones II (91) sacks Miami quarterback N’Kosi Perry (5) during the second half of an ACC game Oct. 26, 2019, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

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Pitt’s Paris Ford (left) celebrates with Damar Hamlin after Ford scored a touchdown off an interception during the first half against Duke on Oct 5, 2019, in Durham, N.C.

Only three Division I college football programs have three players on the 2020 Bednarik Award Watch List released Monday.

Pitt is one of them, joining defending national champion LSU and USC.

Selected to the list from the Panthers are safety Paris Ford, defensive end Patrick Jones II and defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman.

The trio played a large role last season in helping the Pitt defense lead the nation in sacks per game (3.9) and rank ninth in tackles for a loss per game (7.9). Ford and Twyman were first-team All-ACC selections, and Jones was a second-team honoree.

The Panthers join West Virginia senior defensive lineman Darius Stills and Penn State junior linebacker Micah Parsons on the 90-player list.

Stills earned All-Big 12 first-team honors in 2019, leading the team in tackles for a loss (14.5) and sacks (7) and finishing with 47 tackles overall.

Parsons, selected 2019’s top linebacker in the Big Ten, was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media and went on to garner several first-team All-American accolades from the NCAA and media outlets.

The 2020 Chuck Bednarik Award watch list has dropped! pic.twitter.com/IVCJrjhRhi

— Maxwell Football (@MaxwellFootball) July 13, 2020

The Bednarik Award Watch List is compiled each year by the Maxwell Football Club, and the award will go to the one named college football’s top defensive player.

The semifinalists will be announced Nov. 3, and the three finalists will be revealed Nov. 23. The winner will be announced during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 10.

Chuck Bednarik was a defensive standout at linebacker in college at Penn and in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (1969) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1967). Bednarik died in 2015 at the age of 89.