Alabama Football: Why No Alabama Defensive Player Won a Major Award
Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer) For Alabama's defensive standouts, no one player won a single major defensive award, and the reason is simple.
The group worked as a total unit, each had his highlight moments and there were just too many "stars" for just one to stand out that much over the others.
For the nation's No.1 defense to have not one player named to a winning defensive award is both an insult and a compliment.
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It's an insult because all the experts said the teams defense was the very best in all of college football.
It's a compliment in the point of view that while the unit as a whole was judged to be the best, that no one part of it could be determined to be that much better than the rest of the parts of that unit.
What is for sure is that the NFL is salivating, waiting for many of those "non winners" to enter the draft so that teams can snap them up.
And in the end, that is the award that players want the most.
| Bednarik Award | College defensive player of the year | Dec. 8 | Tyrann Mathieu, LSU |
| Biletnikoff Award | Nation's most outstanding receiver | Dec. 8 | Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State |
| Broyles Award | Nation's most outstanding assistant coach | Dec. 6 | John Chavis, LSU |
| Butkus Award | Nation's most outstanding linebacker | Dec. 4 | Luke Kuechly, Boston College |
| Walter Camp Award | Nation's most outstanding player | Dec. 8 | Andrew Luck, Stanford |
| William V. Campbell Trophy | Nation's top collegiate scholar-athlete | Dec. 6 | Andrew Rodriguez, Army |
| Lou Groza Award | Nation's most outstanding place-kicker | Dec. 8 | Randy Bullock, Texas A&M |
| Ray Guy Award | Nation's most outstanding punter | Dec. 8 | Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech |
| Heisman Memorial Trophy | Nation's most outstanding player | Dec. 10 | Robert Griffin III, Baylor |
| Lombardi Award | College lineman of the year | Dec. 7 | Luke Kuechly, Boston College |
| John Mackey Award | Nation's most outstanding tight end | Dec. 8 | Dwayne Allen, Clemson |
| Maxwell Award | College player of the year | Dec. 8 | Andrew Luck, Stanford |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Nation's most outstanding defensive player | Dec. 12 | Luke Kuechly, Boston College |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Nation's best quarterback | Dec. 8 | Robert Griffin III, Baylor |
| Outland Trophy | Nation's most outstanding interior lineman | Dec. 8 | Barrett Jones, Alabama |
| Rimington Trophy | Nation's most outstanding center | Dec. 8 | David Molk, Michigan |
| Eddie Robinson Award | National coach of the year | Jan. 7 | |
| Spirit Award | College football's most inspirational team | Dec. 8 | Alabama Crimson Tide |
| Jim Thorpe Award | Nation's most outstanding defensive back | Dec. 8 | Morris Claiborne, LSU |
| Johny Unitas Award | Nation's top college quarterback | Dec. 5 | Andrew Luck, Stanford |
| Doak Walker Award | Nation's most outstanding running back | Dec. 8 | Trent Richardson, Alabama |
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