University Park, Pa. — Penn State senior tailback Evan Royster (Fairfax, Va.) and junior defensive end Jack Crawford (Longport, N.J.) have been selected to the watch lists for two national awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club.
Royster also has been named, for the second consecutive year, to the watch list for the Walter Camp Football Foundation's Player of the Year award. The honor is the nation's fourth-oldest individual college football accolade. Royster is among 30 players on the watch list, five of whom are from Big Ten Conference teams.
For the second straight year, Royster is a nominee for the Maxwell Award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club to the outstanding collegiate football player in America. Crawford is one of nine Big Ten players to garner consideration for the Chuck Bednarik Award, an honor bestowed upon the nation's defensive player of the year.
A 2010 third team pre-season All-American by Phil Steele's, Royster has been one of the nation's premier tailbacks the past two years. He enters the season with 2,918 career rushing yards, good for No. 8 in the Penn State record books. He needs 481 yards to break Curt Warner's school record of 3,398 yards, set during the 1979-82 campaigns. Royster needs just 82 yards to become the sixth Nittany Lion to eclipse 3,000 yards on the ground.
The former Westfield High School All-Met selection ran for 1,169 yards last year to earn first team All-Big Ten accolades. His 5.7 average was best among conference rushers with at least 110 carries. The Doak Walker Award candidate also led Penn State with 1,364 all-purpose yards (104.9 ypg), ranking No. 3 in the conference in the regular season.
Royster delivered six 100-yard rushing games a year ago, led by 137 yards in a 20-0 win over Minnesota. Penn State has posted a perfect 12-0 record when he breaks the 100-yard barrier.
A nation's best seven Penn State players, including tailback Larry Johnson in 2002, have been honored with the Maxwell Award. Quarterback Daryll Clark was a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award in 2008.
Crawford was a mainstay among the Nittany Lion front four in 2009, starting all 13 games at defensive end and earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. He was among the Big Ten leaders in minus-yardage plays, ranking ninth in tackles for losses (14.5 for minus-67 yards) and 10th with 5.5 sacks (minus-44). With at least one minus-yardage play in 10 games, Crawford was second on Penn State in minus-yardage hits. The former St. Augustine High School standout totaled 31 tackles, was tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries, had one forced fumble and three pass break-ups.
Crawford, a native of London, England who moved to the United States in 2005, saw action in every game as a true freshman in 2008 despite having played organized football for just two years.
Penn State leads the nation with four Chuck Bednarik Award winners. The Nittany Lions' last recipient was All-America linebacker Dan Connor, who earned the honor in 2007, giving Penn State three consecutive honorees after Paul Posluszny became the just the second-time two-time winner in 2005 and 2006. Linebacker LaVar Arrington received the Chuck Bednarik Award in 1999. Navorro Bowman was a semifinalist for the award in 2009.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America since 1937 and is named in honor of sportswriter Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell. The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented to the nation's top defensive player since 1995. Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the NFL Hall of Fame.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced on November 8 and three finalists for each award will be announced on November 22. The winners of the 2010 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be revealed as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show, which will be held on December 9. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's Entertainment Atlantic City on March 4, 2011.
Coach Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions are 51-13 (79.7) since the start of the 2005 season, tied for the nation's No. 7 winning percentage over that span. Penn State returns 36 letterwinners and 13 starters for this season, as well as 10 players that have starting experience. No. 14 Penn State began practice last Thursday and opens the season Sept. 4 vs. Youngstown State (noon on Big Ten Network) in Beaver Stadium.