AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn senior linebacker Eugene Asante has been named to the watch list for the 2024 Chuck Bednarik Award, presented annually to college football’s most outstanding defensive player, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.
Auburn’s leading tackler last season, the 6-1, 219-pound Asante recorded 86 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
The Bednarik Award has been presented since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik, an All-American 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 play full-time on both offense and defense.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 12, 2024, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled Nov. 26, 2024. The winners of the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 12, 2024. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday March 14, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer