On Wednesday the Badgers were skunked from the award watch list announcement circuit for the first time in 2013. On Thursday the Badgers were well represented as the Nagurski and Outland Trophy award watch lists were announced and Wisconsin's own Chris Borland and Ryan Groy were named to those respective watch lists.
The Bronco Nagurski Award is handed out annually to the nation's top linebacker and Borland is no stranger to the list as this is his 3rd straight time being on the list in his career. While Groy is a newcomer to the Outland Award watch list the Badgers clearly aren't. The award for the best interior offensive lineman in the country has seen nine Badgers be named to the preseason watch list in the past 13 years.
Groy's path to the Outland Award preseason watch list is an ineresting one, one that has seen him play ever position on the offensive line but right tackle and he's even played fullback during his days in the Cardinal and White. He'll be bidding to become the third Outland Trophy winner in UW history behind Joe Thomas and Gabe Carimi.
For Borland this is the 2nd preseason award watch list he is on, after being named to the Bednarik Award watch list earlier this week. That award is given to the nation's most outstanding defensive player. No Badger player has ever won the Nagurski Award in it's history.
So for those of you keeping score at home here is the list of players and watch lists they are on so far:
• Maxwell Award (player of the year): James White
• Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year): Chris Borland
• John Mackey Award (outstanding tight end): Jacob Pedersen
• Paul Hornung Award (most versatile): Jared Abbrederis
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player of the year): Chris Borland
• Outland Trophy (best interior lineman): Ryan Groy
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