Cal Haladay Named to Bednarik Award Watch List
8/14/2023 6:38:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State redshirt junior linebacker Cal Haladay has made his third preseason watch list, this time gathering the attention of the Maxwell Football Club for the 29th annual Chuck Bednarik Award.
Haladay was previously named to watch lists for the Butkus Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club 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.
The Bednarik Award has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts members of the selection committee.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 13, while the three finalists will be unveiled Nov. 28. The winners of the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 7. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March 2024.
Haladay led the Big Ten in tackles per game (10.0) last season and ranked second in the conference overall with a career-high 120 stops (42 solo, 78 assists), the most by a Spartan since All-American Greg Jones in 2009. He also led the Spartans and ranked tied for sixth in the Big Ten with a career-high 11 tackles for loss (37 yards), including 1.5 sacks (12 yards). A second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media, Haladay was also named to the Academic All-Big Ten team for the second year in a row.
Haladay became just the second Spartan in school history to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks last season after he collected a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss in the win at No. 14 Illinois on Nov. 5 and then followed up that effort with a career-high 19 stops vs. Rutgers on Nov. 12. He had double-figure tackles in seven games overall.
During his first season as a starter on Michigan State's 11-2 team in 2021, Haladay earned Freshman All-America accolades after tying for the team lead with 96 tackles. He was the first Spartan linebacker to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a single season, and his 78-yard TD return for a score vs. No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl sealed the win for the Spartans. He also recorded 11 tackles against the Panthers to earn Peach Bowl Defensive MVP honors.
The Elysburg, Pennsylvania, native has started in 23 of his 29 career games for the Spartans at linebacker. He has collected 216 tackles, including 16 TFLs (51 yards) and two sacks (16 yards), to go along with two interceptions, two pass break-ups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Haladay and the Spartans begin the 2023 season against Central Michigan on Friday, Sept. 1 in Spartan Stadium.
Haladay was previously named to watch lists for the Butkus Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club 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.
The Bednarik Award has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts members of the selection committee.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 13, while the three finalists will be unveiled Nov. 28. The winners of the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 7. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March 2024.
Haladay led the Big Ten in tackles per game (10.0) last season and ranked second in the conference overall with a career-high 120 stops (42 solo, 78 assists), the most by a Spartan since All-American Greg Jones in 2009. He also led the Spartans and ranked tied for sixth in the Big Ten with a career-high 11 tackles for loss (37 yards), including 1.5 sacks (12 yards). A second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media, Haladay was also named to the Academic All-Big Ten team for the second year in a row.
Haladay became just the second Spartan in school history to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks last season after he collected a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss in the win at No. 14 Illinois on Nov. 5 and then followed up that effort with a career-high 19 stops vs. Rutgers on Nov. 12. He had double-figure tackles in seven games overall.
During his first season as a starter on Michigan State's 11-2 team in 2021, Haladay earned Freshman All-America accolades after tying for the team lead with 96 tackles. He was the first Spartan linebacker to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a single season, and his 78-yard TD return for a score vs. No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl sealed the win for the Spartans. He also recorded 11 tackles against the Panthers to earn Peach Bowl Defensive MVP honors.
The Elysburg, Pennsylvania, native has started in 23 of his 29 career games for the Spartans at linebacker. He has collected 216 tackles, including 16 TFLs (51 yards) and two sacks (16 yards), to go along with two interceptions, two pass break-ups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Haladay and the Spartans begin the 2023 season against Central Michigan on Friday, Sept. 1 in Spartan Stadium.
Another day. Another Preseason Watch List for @CalHaladay28!#RELENTLESS pic.twitter.com/sHDU6Ami3Y
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) August 14, 2023
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