For the second time since in the award’s history, an Ohio State player has won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy given out to the nation’s best defender in college football annually. That’s right, defensive end Chase Young was recognized by the Football Writers Association of America in Charlotte Monday night.
Linebacker James Laurinaitis was the other Buckeye to take home the honor in 2006, which has been handed out since 1993. Young beat out Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown, Georgia safety J.R. Reed, Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons and Minnesota defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. who were also finalists.
“It’s such an honor to come in here and see all of the great players that have won this award, and have a chance to put my name in that category with some of the all-time great college football players,” Young said. “It’s definitely amazing.”
Young was expected to do big things this year, but perhaps nobody could have predicted how dominant he was coming off the edge. He led the country in sacks and set the single-season record at Ohio State with 16.5. More than that though, he was more disruptive than any defensive player we’ve seen in a long, long time.
It got to the point where teams like Michigan and Wisconsin began double and triple teaming him on almost every play just to neutralize the impact he had in games.
Congrats to one of the all-time great defensive lineman in Ohio State history on such a momentous award.
