TUSCALOOSA, Ala.– Alabama football’s Jonathan Allen and Cam Robinson both emerged from the Home Depot College Football Awards Show with national honors on Thursday. Allen became the first Crimson Tide defender to win the Chuck Bednarik Award, while Robinson was the fourth player to win the Outland Trophy.
The Bednarik Award is presented to the nation’s collegiate defensive player of the year.
Allen, a senior, has been a force for a defense that is atop the nation in total defense, rushing defense, scoring defense and defensive touchdowns. He leads the team in quarterback pressures (15), while sharing the lead in sacks (8.5). His 26.5 career sacks are second most all-time in school history, behind former Tide standout and NFL Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas. The Leesburg, Va., native claims his third national award of the week. Allen was previously awarded the Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Monday and Ted Hendricks Trophy on Wednesday.
The Outland Trophy is awarded each year by the Football Writers Association of America to the outstanding interior lineman in college football. Robinson, a junior, has balanced Alabama’s offense from his left tackle position all season. He’s protected for 40.5 points a game, which leads the Southeastern Conference, and 471.3 total yards a game (second in conference). Along with the Outland, Robinson was awarded the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy and earned First Team All-SEC honors on Monday. He joins ex-Alabama standouts Chris Samuels (1999), Andre Smith (2008) and Barrett Jones (2011) in winning the award.
***All information above comes via press release from UA’s athletic department of communications***
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
