Carl Nassib, is having the most picture perfect senior season. The defensive end is now officially a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award for the College Defensive Player of the Year. The Penn Stater is one of only 20 candidates for the award.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Chuck Bednarik, former standout at Penn and later with the Philadelphia Eagles, 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.The Nittany Lions have had four Bednarik Award recipients, which is the most of any school in the nation.
LaVar Arrington won the top defensive player honor in 1999, while Paul Posluszny won the award in back-to-back years in 2005 and 2006, with Dan Connor being is the most recent winner in 2007.
Nassib has sprung onto the national scene this year and leads FBS in sacks (15.5) and tackles for loss (18.5) and is third in forced fumbles (5). He has recorded a sack in each game this season and five multi-sack games. Nassib’s 14.5 sacks this season are the most by a Nittany Lion since Michael Haynes tied Larry Kubin’s school record of 15 sacks in 2002.
Kubin recorded 15 sacks in 1979.Additionally, Nassib is the first Penn State player to force two fumbles in two games in a season since Maurice Evans did it in 2007. Evans had two forced fumbles against Indiana and two forced fumbles against Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl.
Nassib’s impressive five forced fumbles this season are the most made by a Penn State overall since Evans’ five in the 2007 season. He was recently added to the Bednarik Award watch list for the nation’s Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a midseason All-America choice by SI.com, CBS Sports, ESPN.com, and USAToday.com.
Three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced November 24. The winner of the 2015 Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show which will be held on December 10 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
The Nittany Lions will be on the road this weekend headed towards Evanston to face Northwestern Saturday at noon. The game will air on ESPNU.
