Su’a Cravens Named Semi-Finalist for Bednarik Award

Adding to his list of accolades for the 2015 season, USC linebacker Su’a Cravens was named a semi-finalist for the Bednarik Award as one of the top defenders in the nation.

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Presented by the Maxwell Football Club, the Bednarik Award is given to college football’s most outstanding defensive player each year.

In 2015, the junior linebacker has tallied 50 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions, three pass break ups and a forced fumble and remains USC’s most valuable defender through eight games.

Cravens, who was a third team All-American and All-Pac-12 first teamer in 2014, was named the Chuck Bednarik National Defensive Player of the Week last year for his performance against Oregon State.

Though Scooby Wright won the award last year, injuries have kept him out for much of the season, leaving Cravens as the lone representative in the Pac-12. USC rival Notre Dame also has a semi-finalist in Jaylon Smith.

Here is the full list of semi-finalists for the Bednarik:

• Kendell Beckwith, LSU
• Andrew Billings, Baylor
• Joey Bosa, Ohio State
• Jonathan Bullard, Florida
• Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State
• Jeremy Cash, Duke
• Su’a Cravens, USC
• Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
• Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida
• Shaq Lawson, Clemson
• Jourdan Lewis, Michigan
• Tyler Matakevich, Temple
• Carl Nassib, Penn State
• Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
• Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State
• Reggie Ragland, Alabama
• Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
• A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama
• Joe Schobert, Wisconsin
• Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame

More from Reign of Troy

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• USC football adds Xavion Alford as transfer from Texas
• USC Podcast: RoT Radio Ep. 396 on the Football Season’s Fallout
• Talanoa Hufanga named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, USC football with five first-teamers

Only one Trojan has ever won the Bednarik Award. Rey Maualuga took home the honor in 2008. Leonard Williams was a semi-finalist for the award in 2014.

Finalists for the Bednarik Award will be named on Nov. 24, while the winner will be declared on Dec. 10.

Cravens was also named a semi-finalist for the Butkus Award on Monday.