Elam & Gillislee Named Semifinalists For National Awards
Monday, October 29, 2012 | Football
University of Florida junior defensive back Matt Elam (Palm Beach Gardens) and senior running back Mike Gillislee (DeLand) have been named Bednarik and Maxwell Award semifinalists, respectively, announced by Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski on Monday.
Elam and Gillislee are two of 16 candidates for each award that honors each the nation's top defensive player (Bednarik) and nation's most outstanding player (Maxwell).
This season for the Gators, Elam has 41 tackles, including 4.0 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. His 41 tackles are the third-best total for the Orange and Blue this season and his two interceptions ties for a team-high with Jaylen Watkins.
Gillislee leads UF on the offensive side, where he has rushed for 729 yards on 161 carries and has seven touchdowns. He is fourth in the SEC in rushing yards and eighth in scoring touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per rush.
The winners of the 76th Maxwell Award and the 18th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show which will be broadcast on ESPN on Dec. 6, 2012. Three finalists for each award will be announced on Nov. 19, 2012 and a second round of voting will take place at that time.
The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club's Awards Gala which will be held on Friday, March 1, 2013 at the Harrah's Entertainment Complex in Atlantic City, N.J.. Semifinalist voting for both of the collegiate awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 30th and close on Sunday, Nov. 18th. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA Head Football Coaches, Sports Information Directors and selected national media.
| Maxwell Award Semifinalist | |||
| Player | Class | Pos | College |
| Montee Ball | Sr | RB | University of Wisconsin |
| Matt Barkley | Sr | QB | University of Southern California |
| Kenjon Barner | Sr | RB | University of Oregon |
| Giovani Bernard | So | RB | University of North Carolina |
| Johnathan Franklin | Sr | RB | UCLA |
| Mike Gillislee | Sr | RB | University of Florida |
| Jarvis Jones | Jr | LB | University of Georgia |
| Collin Klein | Sr | QB | Kansas State University |
| Marqise Lee | So | WR | University of Southern California |
| EJ Manuel | Sr | QB | Florida State University |
| Johnny Manziel | Fr | QB | Texas A&M University |
| AJ McCarron | Jr | QB | University of Alabama |
| Braxton Miller | So | QB | Ohio State University |
| Geno Smith | Sr | QB | West Virginia University |
| Manti Te'o | Sr | LB | University of Notre Dame |
| De'Anthony Thomas | So | RB/ATH | University of Oregon |
| Bednarik Award Semifinalist | |||
| Player | Class | Pos | College |
| Johnthan Banks | Sr | DB | Mississippi State University |
| Arthur Brown | Sr | LB | Kansas State University |
| Jadeveon Clowney | So | DE | University of South Carolina |
| Matt Elam | Jr | DB | University of Florida |
| Khaseem Greene | Sr | LB | Rutgers University |
| Johnathan Hankins | Jr | DL | Ohio State University |
| Jarvis Jones | Jr | LB | University of Georgia |
| Star Lotulelei | Sr | DL | University of Utah |
| Dee Milliner | Jr | DB | University of Alabama |
| Sam Montgomery | Jr | LB | LSU |
| Damontre Moore | Jr | DL | Texas A&M University |
| C.J. Mosley | Jr | LB | University of Alabama |
| Jordan Poyer | Sr | DB | Oregon State University |
| Will Sutton | Jr | DL | Arizona State University |
| Manti Te'o | Sr | LB | University of Notre Dame |
| Bjoern Werner | Jr | DL | Florida State University |
