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Texas Tech senior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has won the Bronko Nagurski Award, given annually to the nation’s top college defensive player.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Rodriguez received the award at a banquet Monday night at the Charlotte Convention Center. The 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 now copied by Texas Tech football fans, has 114 tackles this season, along with four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a sack for the Red Raiders, who boast the nation’s fifth-best defense.
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, was named the No. 4 seed in the final College Football Playoff rankings and has a bye week.
They will play the winner of the No. 5 Oregon/No. 12 James Madison in the quarterfinals.
Behind a stifling defense led by Rodriguez, the Red Raiders won 12 games by 20-plus points this season, including a 34-7 victory over former No. 11 BYU in the Big 12 championship game Saturday. They join the 2018 Alabama team as the only programs in the Associated Press era to accomplish that 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 cracked the Heisman Trophy standings.
Kansas City Chiefs three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who played at Texas Tech and was playing in a bye week, later wrote on social media: “Get him to New York! @HeismanTrophy.”
“My guys, they wanted me to hit it. Just a rush of adrenaline,” Rodriguez later said of his pose.
Rodriguez will now join an elite firm following Monday’s announcement.
Past Bronko Nagurski Award winners 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), Dan Charles2002 Suggs, Morgan2004 (2004). (1997) and Warren Sapp (1994).
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