Bronko Nagurski Trophy vs. Chuck Bednarik Award?

Question

Whats the difference between these two awards? They're both awarded to the NCAA Division 1 football's best defensive player. James Laurinitis of Ohio State won the Bronko Nagurski but Paul Posluszny of Penn State won the Chuck Bednarik Award. Also, if these two (bopth linebackers) won the respective awards for best defensive players then how does Patrick Willis from Mississippi win the Butkus Award? Posluszny won the Butkus last year, and Laurinitis is only a sophomore, so aren't these two better looking players over all? Stats included?

Answer 1

Valid points. However, I think the Lou Grozny award is a legitimate award. Kickers who are good are usually the highest scoring players on the team. For instance...in 2002 when the Ohio State Buckeyes won the national championship their kicker Mike Nugent won the Lou Grozny and set many school records for scoring. He was an outstanding kicker and won several key games for the Buckeyes. Look in the NFL as well, how many championships did Vinatieri win for the Patriots? Exactly. Kickers are key, and deserve a trophy too.

Laurinitis is, in fact, a pure BAMF.

And he deserved all three trophies.

He's just a sophomore though, so he'll be there again....

Answer 2

There are WAY too many awards handed out these days from way too many organizations. Every retired football player out there seems to want to endow some trophy related to his position. It's out of control so yeah, you got this kind of situation where the awards are in fact very watered down, because now 3 different linebackers can suppose they must be the best one because they all got awards. You could've had a 4th LB get the Lombardi award.

The worst awards are the Remington award for the best center and the Grozny award for the best kicker. I mean c'mon, they already have an award for the best guy at those one-player positions, it's called the freakin' AP All-America team.

I just don't understand why they don't have nice big trophies for the best long-snapper and the best place-kick holder, I guess that's next.

Answer 3

The difference between the two awards is the organizations that give them out. The Nagurski is from the Football writers association, and the Bednarik is from the Maxwell club. The winners are based on the opinion of the panel voting, so that's why it's not the same player. As for the rest of your question, good point, it makes no sense. Laurinitis should win whatever he wants because his dad used to be in the Road Warriors, making him a bad SOB, and the transitive property would indicate that his son is likewise a bad SOB.