Will Anderson is arguably the most dominant defensive player in college football.
He finished last season as a Heisman Trophy finalist and national organizations see him as a semifinalist for individual honors during his junior campaign. Anderson is a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award via Maxwell Football Club.
As the reigning Bronko Nagurski Award winner, the native Georgian is also one of 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award. The news came Tuesday from the Rotary Club of Houston. The Lombardi Award, named after NFL Hall of Famer Vince Lombardi, is presented annually to the college football offensive lineman or defensive lineman who shows outstanding performance and ability, and best exemplifies the character and discipline of Lombardi. Four finalists will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 17 while the winner will be announced live on Dec. 7 in Houston, Texas. Anderson has an opportunity to be the third Tide player to win the Lombardi Award, joining former standouts Jonathan Allen (2016) and Cornelius Bennett (1986).
RELATED: Will Anderson and Kool-Aid McKinstry named semifinalists for Bednarik Award
The 6-foot-4, 243-pounder leads the Southeastern Conference and is tied for seventh nationally in tackles for loss (12).
Anderson has six sacks to go with 36 total tackles and leads Alabama with 10 quarterback hurries. He has a blocked field goal and an interception, which he returned for a touchdown. Anderson looks forward to leading the defense against LSU this weekend.
Click here to follow the Bama Elite Podcast
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
