Kaiir Elam Named To The Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
Monday, July 19, 2021 | Football
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gators cornerback Kaiir Elam was named to the Chuck Bednarik watch list, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday its watch lists for the 85th Maxwell Award and the 27th annual Chuck Bednarik Award.
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football, while the Maxwell goes to the outstanding player.
In 2020, Elam started in all 12 games at cornerback and finished the season with 39 tackles (28 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Elam was named to the Coaches All-SEC First Team and the Associated Press All-SEC Second Team last year after finishing his sophomore campaign as a Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist.
The Bednarik Award watch list is comprised of 90 candidates on the defensive side of the ball. The winners of the 2021 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 9, 2021.
The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995 and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, a former standout at the University of Pennsylvania and with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame's Class of '67.
2021 Gators Watch Lists
Kaiir Elam – Chuck Bednarik Award
