Ngakoue Named to Hendricks Award Watch List
10/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – University of Maryland junior defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has been named to the midseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, which is given annually to the nation's top defensive end.
The Hendricks Award is named in honor of college football's first three-time first-team All-American. As a defensive end at the University of Miami, Hendricks used his agility, height and reach to block passes and kicks, force interceptions and pressure quarterbacks and running backs. He roamed the front line, read plays and blitzed on impulse, completely transforming the way the defensive end position was played. His professional career spanned 15 years and 215 consecutive games. It included four Super Bowl victories, eight Pro Bowl selections and inductions into the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. It is in the spirit of Hendricks' aggressive style of play, winning attitude and determination that the Defensive End of the Year Award for college football's premier defensive end is presented.
Ngakoue, who is also on the Butkus Award Watch List, currently ranks second nationally with 1.3 sacks per game. The junior tallied a career-high three sacks against Bowling Green on September 12 and had two of his nine sacks on the season last week against Penn State.
Ngakoue needs just four more sacks to match the Terps' single-season sack record (13.0), set by Bruce Palmer (1978) and Mark Duda (1982). His 17 career sacks currently ranks 12th in Maryland history.
The Hendricks Award voting committee will cast two votes: one to narrow the list of candidates to 4-6 finalists, and one to choose the winner for this season. The final mid-season watch list will be announced in late November. The 2015 winner will be announced on December 9.
Ngakoue and the Terps return to action this Saturday at No. 10 Iowa. The game will kickoff at 3:30 ET and can been seen on ABC or ESPN2.
-Maryland-
