Six finalists return to 2011 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List
PHILADELPHIA, July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- (Sports Network) – The race for the 2011 Buck Buchanan Award, sponsored by Fathead.com, kicked off Monday with The Sports Network's announcement that six returning finalists from last season are part of a stellar 20-player Watch List for the Football Championship Subdivision's top individual defensive honor.
The Buchanan Award, in its 17th season, will be presented to the FCS' outstanding defensive player at the national awards banquet Thursday night, Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas.
Wofford defensive end Ameet Pall tied for second in the voting last season and returns to the Watch List as a senior. Also returning are New Hampshire junior linebacker Matt Evans, who was fourth; Massachusetts senior linebacker Tyler Holmes, who was fifth; San Diego senior defensive end Mario Kurn, who was sixth; Georgia Southern junior nose tackle Brent Russell, who was 12th; and Montana senior cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who was 19th.
The most-represented position is linebacker with six. In addition to Evans and Holmes, the others are seniors Kadarron Anderson of Furman and A.J. Storms of Idaho State, and juniors Keith Pough of Howard and Derek Rose of Northwestern State.
There are five defensive ends. Joining Pall and Kurn are seniors Brian McNally of New Hampshire and Zack Nash of Sacramento State, and Indiana State junior Ben Obaseki.
Also from the defensive line are senior tackles Renard Williams of FCS champion Eastern Washington and Ben Boothby of Northern Iowa, who join Russell.
The Watch List has six senior defensive backs. Five are cornerbacks – Jeremy Caldwell of Eastern Kentucky, Moses Ellis of Prairie View A&M, Asa Jackson of Cal Poly, Trumaine Johnson of Montana and Ryan Steed of Furman – and one is a strong safety, Eastern Washington's Matt Johnson.
Among the returning vote-getters, Pall finished eighth in the FCS in tackles for loss and sacks per game, collecting 22.5 and 12.5, respectively. Evans was the only sophomore on last year's ballot and finished fifth in the FCS in tackles per game (12.0). Holmes had 110 tackles and five interceptions for UMass.
Also, Kurn led the FCS with 17 sacks and had 27 tackles for loss. Russell helped Georgia Southern reach the FCS semifinals, while totaling 71 tackles, including 18.5 for loss and eight sacks. Johnson enters his senior season with 13 career interceptions, including four last year.
The Buchanan Award Watch List will undergo revision during the 2011 season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of about 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries after the regular season on Nov. 21.
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SOURCE The Sports Network
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