7/13/2020 football Edit

Indiana cornerback Tiawan Mullen named to Bednarik Award Watch List

Alec Lasley • TheHoosier

Senior Writer

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Tiawan Mullen (Indiana University / @IndianaFootball / @@Mullen_7era )

Indiana cornerback Tiawan Mullen continues to receive national recognition following a terrific freshman season. The rising sophomore was named to the Bednarik Award Watch List for 2020. Mullen was one of just 11 sophomores to make the list. This award is given out to the nation's top defensive player.

Last year, Mullen finished with 29 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 13 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 13 games (8 starts).

Below is the full release.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana sophomore cornerback Tiawan Mullen has earned a spot on the watch list for the 26th annual Chuck Bednarik Award, presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football. The Maxwell Football Club announced the honorees today.

Mullen was named a first-team Freshman All-American by The Athletic and a first-team True Freshman All-American by 247Sports in 2019. He also garnered a second-team Pro Football Focus All-Freshman Team nod.

An honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection, Mullen led the conference, finished second among freshmen nationally and shared 11th in the country with 13 pass breakups. The Fort Lauderadale, Fla., native shared the team lead with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries (T-4th in the Big Ten, T-27th nationally)

IU's Defensive Newcomer of the Year added 29 tackles, 3.5 for loss, in 13 games (8 starts). Mullen broke up four passes at No. 25 Michigan State and in the regular-season finale victory at Purdue, he posted career-highs with eight stops, six solos and 2.5 TFLs, and he added one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.

The 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.

Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 3, 2020, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled Nov. 23, 2020. The winner of the 2020 Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 10, 2020. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 12, 2021.

The members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period this month. Seventeen of the association's 25 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates.