PHILADELPHIA, Penn. – Louisiana Tech defensive end Jaylon Ferguson has been named one of 20 semifinalists for the 2018 Chuck Bednarik Award, which is presented by the Maxwell Football Club to the College Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Through the first eight games of his senior season, Ferguson leads the nation this year with 10.5 sacks, while he is currently the nation's active career leader with 38 sacks. Over the weekend, Ferguson broke the Conference USA record for career sacks, while he also tied the Louisiana Tech career sacks record. The senior defensive end is six sacks shy of matching the all-time NCAA record for career sacks, which is held by Terrell Suggs, who recorded 44 sacks at Arizona State from 2000-02.
 
Ferguson, who is a three-time all-conference selection, has recorded 37 total tackles this season, including 22 solo tackles. In addition to his 10.5 sacks in 2018, Ferguson has also registered 14.5 tackles for a loss of 92 yards, while he has nine quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
 
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Chuck Bednarik, former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame's Class of '67.
 
Semifinalist voting for the Bednarik Award presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 31 and will close on Nov. 18. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 19 and a second round of voting will take place at that time. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, sports information directors and selected national media.
 
The winner of the 24th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show presented by Gildan which will be broadcast live on ESPN on Dec. 6, 2018.
 
The Bednarik Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 24 awards boast over 750 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about the awards.
 
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