Penn State Football: Wade Added to Jim Thorpe Watch List

Another day, another preseason watch list honor as Penn State senior safety Lamont Wade has been named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list on Monday afternoon.

The award is given to the nation’s top defensive back at the conclusion of the season.

Wade joins 49 of the nation’s best defensive backs, representing 10 conferences. The list will be narrowed down to 10 to 15 semifinalists on the first Monday of November. From there, three finalists are submitted to a national panel of over 250 sports writers, sportscasters, former players and coaches who vote to determine the winner of the award.

All three finalists are invited to attend The Home Depot College Football Awards Show, broadcast live on ESPN from Atlanta, Georgia.

Entering his senior season Wade brings with him a solid resume having been named an All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media in 2019. He was also tabbed a 2019 Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten second team after making 13 starts at safety during the 2019 campaign.

Wade tied a Big Ten record with three forced fumbles at Ohio State (11/23/19), joining Michigan’s Jerry Hartman (vs. Indiana, 10/21/1967), Ohio State’s Antoine Winfield (at Pittsburgh, 9/23/1995), Iowa’s Bob Sanders (vs. Minnesota, 11/15/2003) and Northwestern’s Ifeadi Odenigbo (vs. Western Illinois, 9/20/2014).

In his best performance of his career, Wade racked up a career-high 11 tackles, including four solo, while registering a solo sack and a pass breakup in the win over Purdue (10/5/19). 

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

Jim Thorpe Award: Lamont Wade

John Mackey Award: Pat Freiermuth

O’Brien Award: Sean Clifford

Lott IMPACT Trophy: Micah Parsons