UCF linebacker Jason Johnson is listed on the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List, which is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday.
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.
Johnson was tabbed an All-AAC First Team selection in a coaches vote and by Phil Steele after starting each of the Knights’ 14 games last season. He recorded a team-high 126 tackles, ranking 31st in the country and third in the American with an even nine per game, and he wreaked havoc on the defensive side throughout the year.
The Chicago native’s 126 tackles were the most by a UCF player since 2002 and the ninth most in program history. Johnson tallied 10 or more tackles in six games last year, headlined by a season-high 15 tackles at East Carolina.
Also, a standout student in the classroom, Johnson was recently tabbed the AAC Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Johnson has now been named to three preseason watch lists, including the Bronko Nagurski and Dick Butkus Awards in addition to the Bednarik.
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.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 13, 2023, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled November 28, 2023. The winners of the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 7, 2023. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March 2024.