University of Pittsburgh Athletics
THREE PANTHERS NAMED CANDIDATES FOR PRESTIGIOUS MAXWELL HONORS
7/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
PITTSBURGH—Three Pitt standouts have been named preseason candidates for the prestigious Maxwell Football Club awards annually presented to college football’s finest players.
Junior running back James Conner was named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the College Player of the Year. Senior defensive end Ejuan Price and sophomore safety Jordan Whitehead were named candidates for the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year.
Pitt has a rich history with both honors. Two legendary Panthers, running back Tony Dorsett (1976) and defensive end Hugh Green (1980), are past recipients of the Maxwell Award. Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald, now an All-Pro with the Los Angeles Rams, won the Bednarik Award in 2013.
Conner (Erie, Pa./McDowell) is making a heroic journey back to the field. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2015 opener and then was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma three months later.
Publicly announcing his cancer in December, he vigorously participated in Pitt's winter workouts while undergoing chemotherapy. Declared cancer free in May, Conner has emphatically stated his goal is to be running the football again this fall. He was an All-American and the ACC Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2014, rushing for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Price (Rankin, Pa./Woodland Hills) was one of the nation’s most disruptive defensive players last season. A first-team All-ACC performer, he compiled 48 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, one fumble recovery (returned 32 yards for a touchdown), one forced fumble and a blocked kick.
Price led the ACC and ranked eighth nationally in sacks per game (0.88 avg.). He finished fourth in the ACC and 11th nationally in TFLs per game (1.5 avg.).
Whitehead (Aliquippa, Pa./Central Valley) was one of college football’s high-impact newcomers last year. He led the Panthers with 109 stops, the most by a true freshman in school history, and added six TFLs, six pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery (returned 22 yards for a touchdown).
Whitehead was named the ACC’s Rookie of the Year, becoming the first defensive player to earn that honor in nearly two decades.
The Pitt coaching staff also tapped Whitehead’s playmaking ability on offense. As a running back, he averaged 10.2 yards per attempt, rushing 12 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
Season tickets and mini-plans for the 2016 Pitt football season are now on sale. Call the Pitt Ticket Office at (800) 643-PITT (7488) or log on to PittsburghPanthers.com. For the latest Pitt football news, follow the Panthers on Twitter and Instagram.
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