Meyer, Tebow and Spikes Named Maxwell Awards Semifinalists
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 | Football
Head football coach Urban Meyer and two Gator football players, including junior quarterback Tim Tebow (Jacksonville, Fla.) and junior linebacker Brandon Spikes (Shelby, N.C.) were named as semifinalists for postseason football awards Wednesday.
Announced by the Maxwell Football Club President, Ron Jaworski, the respective lists include a field of fifteen candidates for each of the awards as selected by the Maxwell Football Club Advisory Committee. Meyer was named one of 15 semifinalists for the 20th annual George Munger Award, presented annually to the nation's College Coach of the Year, while Tebow was named a semifinalist for the 2008 Maxwell Award, presented to the Collegiate Player of the Year. Tebow, the 2007 winner of the Maxwell Award, leads an impressive list of candidates for this season's honor.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Maxwell Football Club announced Spikes as a semifinalist for the 14th Chuck Bednarik Award for the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. Spikes leads the Florida defense this season with 59 total tackles, including six tackles for a loss of 21 yards and two interceptions, racking up 55 interception return yards, and one touchdown.
The announcement of the winners of the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be made during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show that will be broadcast on ESPN on Thursday Dec. 11, 2008. Three finalists for each award will be in attendance for the ESPN broadcast. The Maxwell Football Club will announce the winner of the 20th George Munger Award via a press release in December. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club's Awards Dinner, to be held on Friday March 6, 2009 at the Harrah's Entertainment Complex in Atlantic City, N.J.
Voting for all three of the collegiate awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 5 and close on Sunday, Nov. 23. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, Sports Information Directors and selected national media.
Semifinalists for the 72nd Maxwell Award
| Player | School | Pos. | Class |
| Bradford, Sam | University of Oklahoma | QB | Soph. |
| Brown, Donald | University of Connecticut | RB | JR |
| Clark, Darryl | Penn State University | QB | SR |
| Crabtree, Michael | Texas Tech | WR | Soph. |
| Daniel, Chase | University of Missouri | QB | SR |
| Greene, Shonn | University of Iowa | RB | JR |
| Harrell , Graham | Texas Tech | QB | SR |
| Maclin, Jeremy | University of Missouri | WR | Soph. |
| McCoy, Colt | University of Texas | QB | JR |
| McCoy, LeSean | University of Pittsburgh | RB | Soph. |
| Moreno, Knowshon | University of Georgia | RB | Soph. |
| Ringer, Javon | Michigan State University | RB | SR |
| Robinson, Zac | Oklahoma State University | QB | JR |
| Sanchez, Mark | University of Southern California | QB | JR |
| Tebow, Tim | University of Florida | QB | JR |
Semifinalists for the 14th Chuck Bednarik Award
| Player | School | Pos. | Class |
| Berry, Eric | University of Tennessee | S | Soph. |
| Cody, Terrence | University of Alabama | NT | JR |
| Follett, Zack | University of California | LB | SR |
| Hughes, Jerry | Texas Christian University | DE | JR |
| Jenkins, Malcolm | Ohio State | CB | SR |
| Laurinaitis, James | Ohio State | LB | SR |
| Maualuga, Rey | University of Southern California | LB | SR |
| Maybin, Aaron | Penn State University | DE | Soph. |
| McCoy, Gerald | University of Oklahoma | DT | Soph. |
| McKillop, Scott | University of Pittsburgh | LB | SR |
| Orakpo, Brian | University of Texas | DE | SR |
| Rolle, Myron | Florida State University | S | JR |
| Spikes, Brandon | University of Florida | LB | JR |
| Walker, Vance | Georgia Tech | DT | SR |
| Weatherspoon, Sean | University of Missouri | LB | JR |
Semifinalists for the 20th George Munger Award
| Coach | School |
| Brewster, Tim | University of Minnesota |
| Brown, Mack | University of Texas |
| Dantonio, Mark | Michigan State University |
| Davis, Butch | University of North Carolina |
| Fitzgerald, Pat | Northwestern University |
| Gundy, Mike | Oklahoma State University |
| Johnson, Paul | Georgia Tech |
| Leach, Mike | Texas Tech University |
| Meyer, Urban | University of Florida |
| Paterno, Joe | Penn State University |
| Patterson, Gary | Texas Christian University |
| Petersen, Chris | Boise State University |
| Saban, Nick | University of Alabama |
| Stoops, Bob | University of Oklahoma |
| Whittingham, Kyle | University of Utah |
