DALLAS (FWAA) Alabama free safety Robert Lester has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Sept. 25.
Lester, a 6-2, 206-pound sophomore from Foley, Ala., recorded seven tackles (five unassisted), but his two interceptions were the major story in top-ranked Alabama's 24-20 come-from-behind victory at No. 10 Arkansas.
Lester's second interception of the game set up the Crimson Tide's winning touchdown when he returned a Ryan Mallett pass 33 yards to the Arkansas 12-yard line. His other interception was a second-quarter grab in the end zone to stop an Arkansas drive.
Lester will be added to the 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 6 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Five finalists for the Nagurski Trophy will be announced on Nov. 18.
Each week during the 2010 season the FWAA All-America Committee has selected a national defensive player of the week from nominations made by the 11 Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences and major independents.
Last season, Nebraska tackle Ndamukong Suh won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 15th season the FWAA named a national defensive player of the year.
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is www.touchdownclub.com.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization
founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women who cover college football
for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists,
as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works
to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America
team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve
Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or 972-713-6198.
2010 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week
Sept. 4: Kenny Tate, Maryland
· Sept. 11: Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State
· Sept. 18: Patrick Larimore, UCLA
· Sept. 25: Robert Lester, Alabama
· Oct. 2: Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech
· Oct. 9: Tramain Thomas, Arkansas
· Oct. 16: Chris White, Mississippi State
· Oct. 23: J.J. Watt, Wisconsin
· Oct. 30: Sio Moore, Connecticut
· Nov. 6: Michael Hodges, Texas A&M