TEXAS A&M’S EVANS IS NAGURSKI NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

FWAA Player of the Week
TEXAS A&M’S EVANS IS NAGURSKI NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior’s two interceptions, late breakup help Aggies hold on

DALLAS (FWAA) – Texas A&M defensive back Justin Evans has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for his clutch performances in the Aggies’ 31-24 overtime victory over UCLA this past Saturday in College Station.

Evans, a 6-1, 200-pound safety, picked off two Josh Rosen passes in the fourth quarter and also made the game-winning defensive play when he broke up a fourth-down pass at the goal line in overtime. Evans also chipped in eight tackles, two of them unassisted.

The senior from Wiggins, Miss., intercepted his first pass midway through the fourth quarter that stopped a UCLA drive at the Texas A&M 3. His other interception came with 37 seconds remaining in regulation at midfield with the score tied at 24.

Evans will be added to the Bronko Nagurski Watch List for the annual award. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Thurs., Nov. 17. The winner will be chosen from those five finalists who are part of the 2016 FWAA All-America Team.

The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s entire membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists. The committee members then select the winner as the best defensive player in college football.

The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet, presented by ACN, will be held on Mon., Dec. 5, at the Charlotte Convention Center. In addition to the 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner’s announcement, the banquet will celebrate the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award, sponsored by the CTC and Florida East Coast Railway. Navy’s Chet Moeller, a member of the FWAA’s 1975 All-America Team and a College Football Hall of Famer, will be honored. Duke head coach David Cutcliffe will be the keynote speaker at the banquet.

The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football.

Founded in 1941, the FWAA consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.

ABOUT THE CHARLOTTE TOUCHDOWN CLUB AND ITS SPONSORS

The Bronko Nagurski TrophyThe Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is touchdownclub.com.

ACN, Inc.
Founded in 1993, ACN is the world’s largest direct seller of telecommunications and essential services for residential and business customers. ACN provides the services people need and use every day including Home Phone Service, High Speed Internet, Wireless, Television, Home Security & Automation, Computer Support and Natural Gas and Electricity. ACN operates in 23 countries with offices located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information, visit myacn.com. For information on ACN’s home-based business opportunity, visit acninc.com.

Florida East Coast Railway
FECR is a regional freight railroad that extends along a 351-mile corridor between Jacksonville, Fla., and Miami, Fla., with exclusive rail access to the Port of Palm Beach, Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale) and the Port of Miami. For more information, visit fecrwy.com.

Electrolux
Electrolux is a global leader in appliances for household and professional use, selling more than 50 million products to customers in more than 150 countries every year. The company focuses on innovations that are thoughtfully designed, based on extensive consumer insight, to meet the real needs of consumers and professionals. Electrolux products include refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, cookers and air-conditioners sold under esteemed brands such as Electrolux, Frigidaire, Kelvinator, AEG, and Eureka. In 2012, Electrolux had sales of $17 billion ($5.1 billion in North America) and 58,000 employees. The Electrolux North American headquarters is located at 10200 David Taylor Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262 in the University Research Park. For more information visit http://newsroom.electrolux.com/us/.

2016 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week
• Weekend of Sept. 3: Justin Evans, Texas A&M

2016 FWAA ALL-AMERICA COMMITTEE
Nick Baumgardner, MLive.com (Big Ten)
Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman (Chairman)
Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News (C-USA)
Clay Henry, Hawgs Illustrated (SEC)
Joey Johnston, TodaysU.com (American Athletic)
Steve Jones, Louisville Courier-Journal (ACC)
Matt Roberson, Jonesboro Sun (Sun Belt)
John Shinn, Norman Transcript (Big 12)
Dave Southorn, Idaho Statesman (Mountain West)
Phil Steele, Phil Steele Publications (Independents/National)
Ryan Thorburn, Eugene Register-Guard (Pac-12)
John Wagner, Toledo Blade (Mid-American)