Wisdom earns spot on Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List

PHILADELPHIA — UTSA senior safety Rashad Wisdom has earned a spot on the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.
 
Wisdom is one of 85 players, including one of five from the American Athletic Conference, named to the preseason list for the award presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football.
 
A product of Converse Judson High School, Wisdom is a two-time first-team all-conference performer in the secondary for the Roadrunners. Last fall, he posted 27 total tackles, 21 solo stops, one pass breakup and a fumble recovery in six starts before suffering a season-ending injury. 
 
Wisdom, who is also on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, earned first-team all-league recognition in 2021 after tallying 88 total tackles — including 67 unassisted and four tackles for loss — six pass breakups, one forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. In 2020, he picked off four passes and logged 95 total stops, 60 solos, 2.5 TFL, a pair of forced fumbles and a PBU while earning first-team all-conference accolades.
 
Semifinalists for the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 13, while the three finalists will be unveiled Nov. 28. The winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 7. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March 2024.
 
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.
 
The Chuck Bednarik Award has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele's College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine. 
 
Under the direction of two-time conference coach of the year Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners are coming off an 11-3 campaign that saw them capture their second straight Conference USA crown and play in a bowl game for the third year in a row. UTSA has been ranked in the top 25 in each of the last two seasons and boasts a combined 23 wins over that span, the fourth-best total among all FBS teams behind only Georgia (29), Michigan (25) and Alabama (24).
 
UTSA has been picked to finish second in the AAC Preseason Media Poll and will kick off its 13th season of play on Saturday, Sept. 2, against Houston. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at TDECU Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on FS1.
 
UTSA will face Texas State for the home opener at 2:30 p.m. the following Saturday at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners will host Army at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, UAB on Oct. 14, East Carolina on Oct. 28, Rice on Nov. 11 and South Florida at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17.
 
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now by calling 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting goUTSA.com/tickets.  
 2023 Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List 

 
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