Dec. 9, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Senior defensive end Carl Nassib (West Chester, Pa.) won the Ted Hendricks Award for the nation's top defensive end. He is the first Nittany Lion to win the Hendricks Award. Nassib earned more than 50 percent of the final vote by the committee.
Nassib wins the award over Michigan State's Shilique Calhoun and Clemson's Shaq Lawson, who finished in a tie for second, as well as Oregon's DeForest Buckner, Texas A&M's Myles Garrett and Oklahoma State's Emmanuel Ogbah.
"Three years ago [defensive coordinator] John Butler called me `the stork' and at the time I didn't know what it meant so I took it as an insult, but after realizing who it represented [Ted Hendricks], I see it now as a huge compliment," Nassib said. "To receive this award is an amazing accomplishment and honor that I will always remember. I'm thankful for my family, friends, coaches and teammates for helping me strive to be my best. I could not have done it without them."
"A big `thanks' to our selection committee for choosing another outstanding individual," Ted Hendricks, the award's name sake said. "Carl Nassib is not only an outstanding football player, he's also a scholar and humanitarian with an exemplary work ethic on and off the field. We welcome him to a stellar group of past winners."
The Ted 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, Ted 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 Ted 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.
The Hendricks Award is the third of six awards for which Nassib is a finalist. He is also a finalist for the Lombardi Award (nation's top lineman or linebacker), Bednarik Award (nation's top defensive player) and Lott IMPACT Trophy (distinguished young men represent the qualities embodied by Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott -- Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity). He was a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy (top player that started his career as a walk-on) and the Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defensive player).
Nassib was picked as the Big Ten's Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year and earned first team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media. He is the sixth Nittany Lion to take home Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year accolades since 1998. He joins LaVar Arrington (1998), Courtney Brown (1999), Michael Haynes (2002), Jared Odrick (2009) and Devon Still (2011) on the list of Penn State honorees.
Despite playing only four snaps in the last two games due to injury, Nassib leads FBS in sacks (15.5) and forced fumbles (6) and is second in FBS and first in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (19.5). With one sack at Northwestern, Nassib broke the Penn State single-season sacks record by upping his total to 15.5. He surpasses the mark of 15 sacks set by Larry Kubin (1979) and Michael Haynes (2002).
Additionally, Nassib's six forced fumbles this season are the most by a Penn State player since Haynes had a school-record seven in the 2002. Nassib is the first Penn State player to force two fumbles in two games in a season since Maurice Evans did it in 2007. Evans had two forced fumbles against Indiana and two forced fumbles against Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl. Nassib was a midseason All-America choice by SI.com, ESPN.com, USAToday.com and CBS Sports.
The Nittany Lions will square off against Georgia in the 71st TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, Jan. 2 at noon. The game will air on ESPN. For more information on tickets, ticket packages and bowl information, visit Penn State's Bowl Central at GoPSUsports.com/bowlcentral.
Penn State season ticket renewals and Nittany Lion Club membership renewals also are underway for the 2016 campaign. The ticket invoice and Nittany Lion Club renewal deadline is Feb. 1, 2015. There will not be any increase in the price of Penn State football season tickets or Nittany Lion Club donation levels for next season. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2016 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.