The week will end as it began, with Penn State football players being named to preseason watch lists. This time it’s running back Journey Brown and linebacker Micah Parsons, who have each been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football and has been awarded every year since 1937.
Penn State players have won the award seven times, most recently running back Larry Johnson took home the honor in 2002 while Kerry Collins did the same in 1994.
Saquon Barkley was a finalist for the Maxwell Award in 2017.
Brown, the Nittany Lions’ top back in a room with plenty of talent, averaged 6.89 yards per carry in 2019. He set a Penn State bowl record with 202 yards in the Cotton Bowl vs. Memphis (12/28/19), topping Saquon Barkley’s 194 yards in the 2017 Rose Bowl.
Brown was also selected to the AP All-Bowl Team, ESPN All-Bowl Team and Sports Illustrated All-Bowl Team. Overall he had eight rushes of 30-plus yards (3rd in Big Ten, 12th in FBS), four rushes of 40-plus (T-3rd, T-16th), two rushes of 50-plus (T-3rd, T-30th) and 10 rushes of 20-plus (4th, T-33rd).
Parsons was not short on accolades either following his second season in State College, being named the 2019 Big Ten Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year becoming the first sophomore in Big Ten history to win the award. Against Memphis in the Cotton Bowl, Parsons registered a career-high three tackles for loss and two sacks, while also forcing two fumbles and adding a personal best two pass breakups.
He tied a career high mark in tackles with 14 against the Tigers and was named to the AP All-Bowl Team, ESPN All-Bowl Team and Sports Illustrated All-Bowl Team.
Penn State on 2020 Watch Lists
Bednarik Award: Micah Parsons
Biletnikoff Award: Pat Freiermuth
Butkus Award: Micah Parsons
Doak Walker Award: Journey Brown, Noah Cain
Hornung Award: Journey Brown
Lott IMPACT Trophy: Micah Parsons
Lou Groza Award: Jake Pinegar
Mackey Award: Pat Freiermuth
Maxwell Award: Journey Brown, Micah Parsons
Nagurski Trophy: Micah Parsons, Shaka Toney
O’Brien Award: Sean Clifford
Thorpe Award: Lamont Wade
Wuerffel Trophy: Sean Clifford
