Several Alabama Football Players Named Awards Finalists

Several Alabama football players have been named finalists for some of the most prestigious awards in all of college football including the Heisman Trophy.

Headlining the awards lists for Alabama football is running back Derrick Henry who has been named a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and the Heisman Trophy. An Alabama player has been named a finalist for the Heisman in five of the last seven years. Henry joins Mark Ingram, AJ McCarron, Trent Richardson, and Amari Cooper as Heisman finalists in the Nick Saban era. Ingram is the only one of those others to win the trophy and the only one in Alabama history. Neither Ingram or Richardson had seasons close to the type of season Henry has put together this season.

SEE ALSO: Three Tide Players Receive SEC Awards For 2015

Senior linebacker Reggie Ragland appears on three awards finalist lists as he is a finalist for the Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and Butkus Award. Defensive Coordinator, and future Georgia head coach, Kirby Smart was named a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award which he already won in 2009.

Senior center Ryan Kelly is a finalist for the Rimington Trophy and junior defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson is a finalist for the Outland Trophy. No defensive lineman in the history of Alabama has won the Outland, but three Alabama offensive linemen have won it in the past (Barrett Jones, Andre Smith, and Chris Samuels). Defensive players have only won that award three times in the last ten years (Glenn Dorsey, Ndamukong Suh, and Aaron Donald being the three).

Henry, Kelly, and Ragland were all named first team USA Today All-American as well. Robinson was a second-team USA Today All-American.

ICYMI: 5 Excuses Alabama Haters Will Use To Try To Deny Henry The Heisman

Ten Tide players were also announced this week on the Coaches All-SEC Team. Henry, Kelly, and Ragland joined Jonathan Allen, A’Shawn Robinson, Eddie Jackson, and Cam Robinson on the first team while Dominick Jackson, Calvin Ridley, and Adam Griffith made the second team.

More All-America and All-SEC teams will be announced in the coming days and many of the listed awards will be presented Thursday night on ESPN’s College Awards Show. The Heisman Trophy will be presented Saturday night on ESPN as well. The full lists of awards featuring Alabama finalists as well as the All-America and All-SEC teams are below.

BEDNARIK AWARD (Best Defensive Player)
– Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama (SR)
– Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple (SR)
– Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State (SR)

BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY (Best Defensive Player)
– Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama (SR)
– Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson (JR)
– Jeremy Cash, S, Duke (SR)
– Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple (SR) (WINNER)
– Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State (SR)

BUTKUS AWARD (Best Linebacker)
– Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama (SR)
– Leonard Floyd, LB, Georgia (JR)
– Deion Jones, LB, LSU (SR)
– Raekwon McMillan, LB, Ohio State (SO)(WINNER)
– Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame (JR)

DOAK WALKER AWARD (BEST Running Back)
– Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama (JR)
– Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU (SO)
– Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford (SO)

MAXWELL AWARD (Player of the Year)
– Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama (JR)
– Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford (SO)
– Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson (SO)

OUTLAND TROPHY (Best Lineman)
– A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama (JR)
– Joshua Garnette, OG, Stanford (SR)
– Spencer Drango, DT, Baylor (SR)

REMINGTON TROPHY (Best Center)
– Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama (SR)
– Austin Blythe, C, Iowa (SR)
– Jack Allen, C, Michigan State (SR)

BROYLES AWARD (Top Assistant Coach)
– Kirby Smart, Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers, Alabama
– Kendal Briles, Offensive Coordinator, Baylor
– Gene Chizik, Defensive Coordinator, North Carolina
– Lincoln Riley, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks, Oklahoma (WINNER)
– Brent Venables, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, Clemson

WALTER CAMP AWARD (Player of the Year)
– Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama (JR)
– Desmond King, CB, Iowa (JR)
– Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma (JR)
– Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford (SO)
– Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson (SO)

HEISMAN TROPHY (Player of the Year)
– Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama (JR)
– Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford (SO)
– Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson (SO)

2015 USA TODAY ALL-AMERICANS
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Deshaun Watson, Clemson Tigers
RB: Derrick Henry, Alabama Crimson Tide
RB: Christian McCaffrey, Stanford Cardinal
OL: Jack Conklin, Michigan State Spartans
OL: Joshua Garnett, Stanford Cardinal
OL: Ryan Kelly, Alabama Crimson Tide
OL: Spencer Drango, Baylor Bears
OL: Joe Thuney, North Carolina State Wolfpack
WR: Corey Coleman, Baylor Bears
WR: Josh Doctson, TCU Horned Frogs
TE: Hunter Henry, Arkansas Razorbacks

DEFENSE
DL: Joey Bosa, Ohio State Buckeyes
DL: Sheldon Day, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
DL: DeForest Buckner, Oregon Ducks
DL: Shaq Lawson, Clemson Tigers
LB: Tyler Matakevich, Temple Owls
LB: Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
LB: Reggie Ragland, Alabama Crimson Tide
CB: Jourdan Lewis, Michigan Wolverines
CB: Desmond King, Iowa Hawkeyes
S: Jeremy Cash, Duke Blue Devils
S: Marcus Maye, Florida Gators

SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Jake Elliot, Memphis Tigers
P: Tom Hackett, Utah Utes
KR: Morgan Burns, Kansas State Wildcats

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Sooners
RB: Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State Buckeyes
RB: Leonard Fournette, LSU Tigers
OL: Roderick Johnson, Florida State Seminoles
OL: Jack Allen, Michigan State Spartans
OL: Matt Skura, Duke Blue Devils
OL: Taylor Decker, Ohio State Buckeyes
OL: Joe Dahl, Washington State Cougars
WR: Will Fuller, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
WR: Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma Sooners
TE: David Morgan, UTSA Roadrunners

DEFENSE
DL: Carl Nassib, Penn State Nittany Lions
DL: A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama Crimson Tide
DL: Andrew Billings, Baylor Bears
DL: Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State Cowboys
LB: Kentrell Brothers, Missouri Tigers
LB: Blake Martinez, Stanford Cardinal
LB: Joe Schobert, Wisconsin Badgers
CB: Zack Sanchez, Oklahoma Sooners
CB: Jalen Ramsey, Florida State Seminoles
S: Damontae Kazee, San Diego State Aztecs
S: Quin Blanding, Virginia Cavaliers

SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Roberto Aguayo, Florida State Seminoles
P: Hayden Hunt, Colorado State Rams
KR: Will Likely, Maryland Terrapins

2015 COACHES ALL-SEC TEAM
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Dak Prescott, Mississippi State Bulldogs
RB: Derrick Henry, Alabama Crimson Tide
RB: Leonard Fournette, LSU Tigers
OL: Cam Robinson, Alabama Crimson Tide
OL: Sebastian Tretola, Arkansas Razorbacks
OL: Vadal Alexander, LSU Tigers
OL: John Theus, Georgia Bulldogs
C: Ryan Kelly, Alabama Crimson Tide
WR: Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss Rebels
WR: Fred Ross, Mississippi State Bulldogs
WR: Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina Gamecocks
TE: Hunter Henry, Arkansas Razorbacks
AP: Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina Gamecocks

DEFENSE
DL: Myles Garrett, Texas A&M Aggies
DL: A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama Crimson Tide
DL: Jonathan Bullard, Florida Gators
DL: Jonathan Allen, Alabama Crimson Tide
LB: Kentrell Brothers, Missouri Tigers
LB: Reggie Ragland, Alabama Crimson Tide
LB: Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt Commodores
DB: Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida Gators
DB: Tare Elston, Ole Miss Rebels
DB: Jalen Tabor, Florida Gators
DB: Eddie Jackson, Alabama Crimson Tide

SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Daniel Carlson, Auburn Tigers
P: Drew Kaser, Texas A&M Aggies
KR: Evan Berry, Tennessee Volunteers

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Chad Kelly, Ole Miss Rebels
RB: Alex Collins, Arkansas Razorbacks
RB: Jalen Hurd, Tennessee Volunteers
OL: Dominick Jackson, Alabama Crimson Tide
OL: Shon Coleman, Auburn Tigers
OL: Dan Skipper, Arkansas Razorbacks
OL: German Ifedi, Texas A&M Aggies
C: Ethan Pocic, LSU Tigers
WR: Calvin Ridley, Alabama Crimson Tide
WR: Christian Kirk, Texas A&M Aggies
WR: De’Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State Bulldogs
TE: Evan Engram, Ole Miss Rebels
AP: Christian Kirk, Texas A&M Aggies

DEFENSE
DL: Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss Rebels
DL: Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss Rebels
DL: Charles Harris, Missouri Tigers
DL: Derek Barnett, Tennessee Volunteers
LB: Leonard Floyd, Georgia Bulldogs
LB: Skai Moore, South Carolina Gamecocks
LB: Antonio Morrison, Florida Gators
DB: Mike Hilton, Ole Miss Rebels
DB: Dominick Sanders, Georgia Bulldogs
DB: Tre’Davious White, LSU Tigers
DB: Jamal Adams, LSU Tigers

SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Taylor Bertolet, Texas A&M Aggies
K: Adam Griffith, Alabama Crimson Tide
P: Johnny Townsend, Florida Gators
KR: Christian Kirk, Texas A&M Aggies