The junior linebacker standout looks to make an impact in 2024 after missing the last four games of the 2023 campaign due to injury.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida linebacker Shemar James has been named to the Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List, putting him in the running for the award handed to the outstanding defensive player in college football each season.
Prior to a knee injury that sidelined him for the final four games of the 2023 season, James led Florida in tackles by a significant margin, still finishing with the second-most on the roster with 55.0. He finished second on the team in tackles for loss with 5.5. His absence was most felt in Florida's efforts to stop the running game, with the Gators allowing an average of 73.7 more rushing yards per game on average after his injury.
In 2022, James was named an All-SEC Freshman after he finished sixth on the team in total tackles behind five players that would go on to sign NFL contracts after the season.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multiple year All Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full-time player on both offense and defense.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 12, 2024, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 26, 2024. The winners of the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida linebacker Shemar James has been named to the Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List, putting him in the running for the award handed to the outstanding defensive player in college football each season.
Prior to a knee injury that sidelined him for the final four games of the 2023 season, James led Florida in tackles by a significant margin, still finishing with the second-most on the roster with 55.0. He finished second on the team in tackles for loss with 5.5. His absence was most felt in Florida's efforts to stop the running game, with the Gators allowing an average of 73.7 more rushing yards per game on average after his injury.
In 2022, James was named an All-SEC Freshman after he finished sixth on the team in total tackles behind five players that would go on to sign NFL contracts after the season.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multiple year All Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full-time player on both offense and defense.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 12, 2024, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 26, 2024. The winners of the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024.
