Photo by Jeff Houchin
As his senior year comes to a close, Kentucky Wildcats standout linebacker Josh Allen has heard his name called for both receiving national awards as well as being a finalist for additional accolades. On Monday, that recognition grew even louder with high praise from the Associated Press and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.
First, the Associated Press released that Allen was their South Eastern Conference defensive player of the year after leading the league in both sacks and tackles for loss. He was also a unanimous selection for the All-SEC first team.
However, Monday’s awards didn’t stop there. Allen was then recognized in Charlotte, NC for winning the Bronko Nagurski trophy. The accolade is awarded to the NCAA’s best defensive player for the 2018 season.
The award puts Allen in an elite company, being just the fourth player from the SEC to receive such praise. Champ Bailey (Georgia, 1998), Glenn Dorsey (LSU, 2007) and Jonathan Allen (Alabama, 2016) were the first three.
The potential to add to Allen’s trophy case is only increasing, as he’s been named a finalist for an additional five awards of national recognition. Allen is in the running for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker, the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s best defensive player, the Lott IMPACT Trophy as the nation’s best defensive player and the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s best defensive end.
