Michigan State University Athletics
Xavier Henderson Named to Bednarik Award Watch List
8/1/2022 10:11:00 AM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State graduate safety Xavier Henderson has landed on his fourth preseason award watch list, this time earning a spot on the Bednarik Award Watch List, which was released Monday by the Maxwell Football Club.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck "Concrete Charlie" Bednarik who was an All American player at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multiple year All-Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full time player on both offense and defense.
Henderson has also been named to watch lists for the Jim Thorpe Award (nation's best defensive back), the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's best defensive player) and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
A four-year letterwinner (2018-21), Henderson leads all active Spartans with 235 tackles, which ranks No. 43 in school history. He also has 12.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass break-ups and two forced fumbles in 46 career games.
Henderson, who was named a game captain for all 13 games last season and helped lead MSU to an 11-2 record and a New Year's Six bowl win over No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the media after tying for the team lead with a career-high 96 tackles, including a career-best 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. His 96 stops ranked tied for 11th most in the Big Ten. Henderson recorded a TFL in nine games with a career-high two in the season opener at Northwestern. He also had a career-high 17 tackles vs. Nebraska, the most by a Spartan since 2016.
The Reynoldsburg, Ohio, native tallied 41 stops during his third season at MSU in a shortened seven-game schedule in 2020 and ranked second on the team with 83 tackles as a sophomore in 2019, including two interceptions and five pass break-ups. As a true freshman in 2018, he primarily played on special teams, collecting 15 tackles.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 1, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled Nov. 22. The winners of the 28th Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 8. The formal presentations of the award will be made at the 86th Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala live from Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 10, 2023.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck "Concrete Charlie" Bednarik who was an All American player at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multiple year All-Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full time player on both offense and defense.
Henderson has also been named to watch lists for the Jim Thorpe Award (nation's best defensive back), the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's best defensive player) and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
A four-year letterwinner (2018-21), Henderson leads all active Spartans with 235 tackles, which ranks No. 43 in school history. He also has 12.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass break-ups and two forced fumbles in 46 career games.
Henderson, who was named a game captain for all 13 games last season and helped lead MSU to an 11-2 record and a New Year's Six bowl win over No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the media after tying for the team lead with a career-high 96 tackles, including a career-best 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. His 96 stops ranked tied for 11th most in the Big Ten. Henderson recorded a TFL in nine games with a career-high two in the season opener at Northwestern. He also had a career-high 17 tackles vs. Nebraska, the most by a Spartan since 2016.
The Reynoldsburg, Ohio, native tallied 41 stops during his third season at MSU in a shortened seven-game schedule in 2020 and ranked second on the team with 83 tackles as a sophomore in 2019, including two interceptions and five pass break-ups. As a true freshman in 2018, he primarily played on special teams, collecting 15 tackles.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 1, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled Nov. 22. The winners of the 28th Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 8. The formal presentations of the award will be made at the 86th Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala live from Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 10, 2023.
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