NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Texas Tech senior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez won the Bronko Nagurski Award given annually to the nation’s best college defensive player.
Rodriguez, 6 feet 1 inch and 230 pounds, received the award at a banquet Monday evening at the Charlotte Convention Center. Other finalists for the award were Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore.
Rodriguez, known for his dark mustache that is now copied by Texas Tech football fans, has 114 tackles this season, along with four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one sack for the Red Raiders, who boast the fifth-best defense in the country.
Texas Tech (12-1) won the Big 12 championship and will make its first appearance in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Red Raiders, who allow just 254.4 yards per game on defense, were ranked as the No. 4 seed in the final College Football Playoff rankings and have a bye week.
They will face the winner of No. 5 Oregon/No. 12 James Madison in the quarterfinals.
Behind a stifling defense led by Rodriguez, the Red Raiders have won 12 games by more than 20 points this season, including a 34-7 win over former No. 11 BYU in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday. They join Alabama’s 2018 team as the only programs in the Associated Press era to accomplish this feat.
After a regular-season win over BYU in November in which Rodriguez had 14 tackles and two takeaways in a 29-7 win, he struck a pose for the Heisman Trophy.
Kansas City Chiefs three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who played at Texas Tech and attended the game during a bye week, later posted on social media: “Bring it to New York! @HeismanTrophy.”
“My guys, they wanted me to hit. Just an adrenaline rush,” Rodriguez later said of his pose.
Rodriguez will now join elite company following Monday’s announcement.
Previous winners of the Bronko Nagurski Award include Will Anderson Jr. (2021), Chase Young (2019), Bradley Chubb (2017), Aaron Donald (2013), Luke Kuechly (2011), Ndamukong Suh (2009), Brian Orakpo (2008), Derrick Johnson (2004), Terrell Suggs (2002), Dan Morgan (2000), Charles Woodson (1997) and Warren Sapp (1994).
Want great stories delivered straight to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports accountand follow the leagues, teams and players to receive a daily personalized newsletter!
