KANSAS’ BRYANT EARNS BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

KANSAS’ BRYANT EARNS BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) – Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant tied a single-game school record with three interceptions in the Jayhawks’ 42-14 win over Houston, becoming just the seventh Big 12 Conference player to accomplish the feat. For his takeaway tenacity, Bryant earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 19, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Each week during the regular season, the FWAA has selected a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week since 2001. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 20. The national defensive player of the year will be chosen from those finalists who are part of the 2024 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on Dec. 9 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Players may be added or removed from the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list during the season. If a player isn’t already on the preseason watch list, which Bryant was, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.

Bryant, a 6-0 senior from Evergreen, Ala., is the first Jayhawk with three interceptions in a game since 1958 and the first FBS player with three picks in a game this season. It was the first multiple-interception game of his career and Kansas’ first since 2018. The three players who shared the record before Saturday all played at Kansas during the 1950’s.

Bryant also had three tackles and one tackle-for-loss in the runaway win that earned him the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Week for his play. It’s the third time he’s received that award – the first came on Sept. 12, 2022, after recording the game-clinching interception for Kansas in an overtime victory at West Virginia. On Sept. 25, 2023, Bryant earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in a 38-27 win over BYU, in which he recorded three tackles, an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery which was returned for a touchdown.

The three picks give him 13 career interceptions, tying him with cornerback Aqib Talib (13, 2005-07) for the second-most in school history. Talib was a Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist in 2007.

After Kansas scored a touchdown on its opening drive, Bryant ended Houston’s first drive near midfield by intercepting UH starting quarterback Zeon Chriss and returning it into Cougar territory. The takeaway set up a one-play scoring drive for Kansas and an early 14-0 lead.

Kansas led 28-14 near the end of the first half before Bryant struck for the second time in Jayhawk territory. Bryant’s third pick came on Houston’s next possession, a seven-play drive to open the second half. The Cougars attempted a trick play, but Bryant made a diving interception at the Kansas 5-yard line to end the threat.

It has been 12 seasons (2012) since the last time a Big 12 player had three interceptions in a conference game.

Talib’s finalist advancement in 2007 is Kansas’ only prevoius history with the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

Kansas faces No. 16 Kansas State in the 122nd Dillons Sunflower Showdown on the road Saturday, with an 8 p.m. kickoff on ESPN2.

The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from the finalists named in November. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.

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. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, North Carolina region. Since its inception, the club has grown as well as diversified boasting a sponsor team of more than (80) companies. The Club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding Citizenship, Scholarship, Sportsmanship, and Leadership of area athletes and coaches. Through individual and corporate support, more than $3,000,000 has been raised and donated to benefit the Touchdown Club’s scholarship efforts.

Coca-Cola Consolidated is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. Our purpose is to honor God in all we do, to serve others, to pursue excellence and to grow profitably. For over 121 years, we have been deeply committed to the consumers, customers and communities we serve and passionate about the broad portfolio of beverages and services we offer. We make, sell and distribute beverages of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies in more than 300 brands and flavors across 14 states and the District of Columbia, to approximately 60 million consumers. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Coca-Cola Consolidated is traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “COKE”. More information about the Company is available at cokeconsolidated.com. Follow Coca-Cola Consolidated on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 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.