Marlon Bridges Named To Buchanan Award Watch List
8/2/2018 1:47:00 PM | Football
JACKSONVILLE – Marlon Bridges has been named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, STATS announced on Thursday.
The Buck Buchanan Award is given annually to the top defensive player in the FCS by STATS. The honor was won by Gamecock defensive end Darius Jackson last season, the first JSU or Ohio Valley Conference player to win the award in its history. Bridges was a finalist for the honor last year.
The junior safety from Lanett, Ala., has already received several preseason honors so far this year. He was voted the Preseason OVC Defensive Player of the Year by both the league's head coaches and the media, and he has been named to the STATS and HERO Sports Preseason All-America squads.
Bridges was an All-American for the second-straight season as a sophomore a year ago and was a second-team pick on the HERO Sports All-America Team. The native of Lanett, Ala., and finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award was a First Team All-OVC selection for the second time in as many years at JSU an led what was a dominant defense for the Gamecocks in 2017. JSU ranked 13th in all of FCS in passing yards allowed and Bridges continued his knack for creating turnovers for the Gamecocks.
He was second on the team in tackles with 79 and in the top 10 in the league with three interceptions. What Bridges did with those interceptions was another thing. He amassed 137 yards on just three returns, scoring one touchdown. He blocked a kick, had six tackles for a loss, broke up five passes and defended eight.
The preseason accolades come as the Gamecocks prepare to defend their fourth-straight OVC crown and extend the longest active conference win streak in all of Division I football. JSU has won its last 32 league games, an OVC record and the second-longest conference win streak in FCS history behind Duquesne's 39-game Metro Atlantic streak from 1999-06.
The 2018 season will see JSU going for a league-record fifth-straight OVC title. They are currently tied with Middle Tennessee (1956-59), Tennessee Tech (1958-61) and Eastern Kentucky (1981-84) as the only teams in conference history with four-straight championships.
The Buck Buchanan Award is given annually to the top defensive player in the FCS by STATS. The honor was won by Gamecock defensive end Darius Jackson last season, the first JSU or Ohio Valley Conference player to win the award in its history. Bridges was a finalist for the honor last year.
The junior safety from Lanett, Ala., has already received several preseason honors so far this year. He was voted the Preseason OVC Defensive Player of the Year by both the league's head coaches and the media, and he has been named to the STATS and HERO Sports Preseason All-America squads.
Bridges was an All-American for the second-straight season as a sophomore a year ago and was a second-team pick on the HERO Sports All-America Team. The native of Lanett, Ala., and finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award was a First Team All-OVC selection for the second time in as many years at JSU an led what was a dominant defense for the Gamecocks in 2017. JSU ranked 13th in all of FCS in passing yards allowed and Bridges continued his knack for creating turnovers for the Gamecocks.
He was second on the team in tackles with 79 and in the top 10 in the league with three interceptions. What Bridges did with those interceptions was another thing. He amassed 137 yards on just three returns, scoring one touchdown. He blocked a kick, had six tackles for a loss, broke up five passes and defended eight.
The preseason accolades come as the Gamecocks prepare to defend their fourth-straight OVC crown and extend the longest active conference win streak in all of Division I football. JSU has won its last 32 league games, an OVC record and the second-longest conference win streak in FCS history behind Duquesne's 39-game Metro Atlantic streak from 1999-06.
The 2018 season will see JSU going for a league-record fifth-straight OVC title. They are currently tied with Middle Tennessee (1956-59), Tennessee Tech (1958-61) and Eastern Kentucky (1981-84) as the only teams in conference history with four-straight championships.
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