The 2016 Maxwell and Bednarik Award watch lists were announced Tuesday and Houston has one player on each.
On the Maxwell watch list is quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. (as if you had any doubt) and on the Bednarik list is linebacker Steven Taylor, both of whom made our Cougars’ players-to-watch list.
Here are some interesting notes about both awards in relation to Houston. You can find the list of past Maxwell award winners here and Bednarik winners here.
The Maxwell award was first given out in 1937. The Bednarik award is much newer, first given in 1995.
Houston has never had a player win either award. When Andre Ware won the Heisman in 1989, the Maxwell committee decided that RB Anthony Thompson from Indiana was more deserving. Ware finished second.
Ward Jr. was a semifinalist in 2015 for the Maxwell award. Case Keenum was a semifinalist in 2011.
Of current AAC teams, only Navy (1954, 1957, 1960, 1963), Temple (1974), and SMU (1947) have ever won the Maxwell award. Only Temple (2015) has ever won the Bednarik award. In fact, Temple LB Tyler Matakevich is the only Group of Five player to have won the award.
This year there are six AAC players on the Maxwell list and five players on the Bednarik list.
The chances don’t look good for either player if history is any kind of precedent, but if Houston somehow finds itself unbeaten in November and sitting right around no. 4 in the major polls, I’d say there is a pretty good chance that Ward Jr. or Taylor make the finalist lists.
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