Each year, the Maxwell Football Club honors some of college football’s best players from that season with two of several highly-coveted achievement awards: the Maxwell Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award.
On July 1, Temple senior quarterback P.J. Walker and senior running back Jahad Thomas were announced on the Maxwell Football Club’s watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is presented to college football’s most outstanding player.
Junior defensive back Sean Chandler, meanwhile, was named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award. This trophy is given to the top collegiate defensive player in the nation.
Walker, who is set to begin his fourth season under center for the Owls, has improved every year in North Philadelphia and has developed into one of the most prolific passers in program history. In 2015, Walker set new school records for passing yards (2,972) and total offense (3,179). He is also the Owls all-time leader in touchdown passes (52) and completions (601).
Walker’s durability (he was one of only three players to start every game last year) and his ability to protect the football helps provide the team with an opportunity to win every time it takes the field. Another strong campaign could give Walker a legitimate shot to come away with the Maxwell Award.
Thomas is coming off a strong 2015 campaign of his own. He rushed for 1,262 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 216 receiving yards and another score. Thomas also electrified the fan base with a school-record 100-yard kickoff return touchdown against the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Thomas has worked extremely hard to make the transition from defensive back to running back early on in his career at Temple, and his big 2015 season shows that his transformation may be nearing completion. If he is able to stay healthy and continue making big plays for the Owls offense, Thomas will be an intriguing name to watch when the time comes to name the winner of the Maxwell Award.
Chandler, who has been a starter since 2014, recorded 66 tackles, one sack and four interceptions last year. Impressively, two of those INTs were returned for touchdowns.
Of course, Temple is no stranger to housing the nation’s top collegiate defensive player, as former linebacker Tyler Matakevich brought home the Chuck Bednarik Award following his senior season in 2015.
Chandler conceivably still has two years to bring home a trophy of his own, but his playmaking ability and coverage skills could see him win the hardware sooner rather than later.
It is still way too early to tell who will ultimately come away with the Maxwell Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award this year, but just the fact that these three players were named to their respective watch lists is an honor in itself and further proof that Temple’s football program is now one to be reckoned with.
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