by staff–13 Jul ’17
Wyoming junior safety Andrew Wingard earned his second preseason honor of 2017 on Thursday when he was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. It marked the first time in Wingard’s career that he was named to the Nagurski Trophy Watch List.
The Charlotte Touchdown Club sponsors the Nagurski Award. Since 1993, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) has selected a National Defensive Player of the Year, and in 1995 the FWAA named that award after Nagurski. On Nov. 16, 2017, the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will select five finalists for the 2017 Nagurski Trophy. The winner will be announced on Dec. 4, 2017, at the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet, presented by ACN, at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Nagurski, who played collegiately at the University of Minnesota and professionally for the Chicago Bears, was a charter member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Wingard has also been named to the 2017 Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List as announced by the Maxwell Football Club.
Wingard was a First Team All-Mountain West selection as a sophomore in 2016 and was one of 16 national semifinalists for the 2016 Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the nation’s top defensive back each season.
His true freshman season, Wingard was named a First Team Freshman All-American by the FWAA, and earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors.
He ranked among the top defensive players in the nation in tackles in 2016. Wingard ranked No. 22 in the NCAA in total tackles in 2016, averaging 9.4 per game, and ranked No. 26 in the NCAA in solo tackles, averaging 5.4 per game. Wingard ended his sophomore season in 2016 ranked No. 1 among all current active NCAA FBS players in career solo tackles, averaging 6.08 per game, and he ranked No. 2 among all current active FBS players in career total tackles, averaging 9.73 per game.
