Tulsa’s Zaven Collins Wins Bednarik Award

TULSA, Okla. –– As part of the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show Thursday night, the Chuck Bednarik award was presented to University of Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins. Collins sweeps the defenaive player of tghe year awards after earning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy last month.

The other two finalists for the award were Notre Dame senior linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Alabama junior cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

This year Collins has now won the Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and first-team All-America accolades from the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, USA Today, CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus, The Athletic and Phil Steele Magazine.

With Collins' announcement as a Walter Camp All-America selection, he becomes only the second consensus All-American in school history and the first time since Golden Hurricane receiver Howard Twilley's selection in 1965.

A 6'4" junior from Hominy, Okla., Collins has totaled 53 tackles, 11.5 TFLs for -49 yards, 4 sacks for -25 yards, 4 interceptions for 152 return yards, 2 TDs off INTs, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, as well as one safety. Two of his interceptions were game-clinchers, including a pickoff against #19 SMU that ended any possible final scoring drive for the Mustangs and his pick-6 in overtime against Tulane that he took 96 yards for the game-winning score.

Collins was unanimously chosen as the American Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to earn unanimous player-of-the-year honors, while also earning first-team all-league merits. He is also a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and on Monday was named the runner-up for Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker,

Collins was named the Bednarik Award's National Player of the Week for his season-opening performance against the No. 11-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. In that game, Collins recorded six tackles, all solos, with four of those for losses totaling 24 yards, including 3 sacks for -16 yards.

He later was named the National Defensive Player of the Week for two additional games, earning the honor once each from the Bronko Nagurski Award and the Walter Camp Foundation.

Tulsa’s Zaven Collins Wins Bednarik Award

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