UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State junior running back Journey Brown and junior linebacker Micah Parsons have each been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, it was announced on Friday. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell, a former standout at the Swarthmore College and a renowned sports writer and football official.
Journey Brown Bio:
- Averaged 6.89 yards per carry in 2019, ranking fifth at Penn State, while his 12 rushing touchdowns finished tied for 13th.
- Set a Penn State bowl record with 202 yards in the Cotton Bowl vs. Memphis (12/28/19), topping Saquon Barkley's 194 yards in the 2017 Rose Bowl.
- Selected to the AP All-Bowl Team, ESPN All-Bowl Team and Sports Illustrated All-Bowl Team.
- Named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media.
- Earned the Tim Shaw Thrive Award, as a student-athlete who has overcome adversities and been an inspiration to fellow teammates, at the team's awards banquet.
- Appeared in 13 games, making 10 starts in 2019 and had at least one rushing touchdown in five straight games to end the season.
- Had a career-long 85-yard run vs. Pitt (9/14/19), the second-longest non-scoring run in program history (Blair Thomas 92-yard run vs. Syracuse, 1986).
- Finished third in the Big Ten and 27th in the FBS with 12 rushing touchdowns.
- Ranked fifth in the Big Ten with 890 rushing yards.
- Had eight rushes of 30-plus yards (3rd in Big Ten, 12th in FBS), four rushes of 40-plus (T-3rd, T-16th), two rushes of 50-plus (T-3rd, T-30th) and 10 rushes of 20-plus (4th, T-33rd).
Micah Parsons Bio:
- 2019 Big Ten Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year.
- Became the first sophomore in Big Ten history to win the award.
- 2019 first team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media.
- Named a Consensus All-American by the NCAA.
- Was a first team All-America selection by numerous outlets, including the Associated Press, USA Today, ESPN, the AFCA, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report and Pro Football Focus.
- Earned additional All-America honors from by Sporting News, CBS Sports, the FWAA, Walter Camp Foundation, The Athletic and Phil Steele.
- Has six career forced fumbles, seventh all-time at Penn State.
- Tallied four forced fumbles in 2019, tied for fifth in a single season for the Nittany Lions.
- The four forced fumbles were tied for third in the Big Ten and tied for fifth nationally.
- Earned the 2019 Most Valuable Defensive Player at the team's awards banquet.
- Was a finalist for the Butkus Award and a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award.
- Appeared in 13 games in 2019, making 12 starts, and finished the season with 10 or more tackles in three-straight games and six of the final seven games.
- Secured 10 tackles and registered two tackles for loss in the win over Buffalo (9/7/19).
- In the victory over Pittsburgh (9/14/19), collected nine tackles, seven solo, and registered two tackles for loss, while adding a pass breakup and a QB hurry.
- Recorded two tackles for loss, a sack and five tackles in the win over Purdue (10/5/19).
- In the Michigan win (10/19/19), tied a career high with 14 tackles, including six solo, with eight of those 14 tackles holding Michigan to one or less yard.
- Collected 12 tackles and broke up a pass in the win at Michigan State (10/26/19).
- Secured 11 tackles, six solo, and tallied two TFLs and a sack at Minnesota (11/9/19).
- Recorded seven tackles and forced a fumble in the victory over Indiana (11/16/19).
- Registered 10 tackles at Ohio State (11/23/19), while adding two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a recovery.
- Made 10 tackles and added a solo sack in the Rutgers win (11/30/19).
- In the Cotton Bowl win over Memphis (12/28/19), registered a career-high three tackles for loss and two sacks, while also forcing two fumbles and adding a personal best two pass breakups.
- Tied a career high mark in tackles with 14 against the Tigers and was named to the AP All-Bowl Team, ESPN All-Bowl Team and Sports Illustrated All-Bowl Team.
Penn State on 2020 Watch Lists
Bednarik Award: Micah Parsons
Biletnikoff Award: Pat Freiermuth
Butkus Award: Micah Parsons
Doak Walker Award: Journey Brown, Noah Cain
Hornung Award: Journey Brown
Lott IMPACT Trophy: Micah Parsons
Lou Groza Award: Jake Pinegar
Mackey Award: Pat Freiermuth
Maxwell Award: Journey Brown, Micah Parsons
Nagurski Trophy: Micah Parsons, Shaka Toney
O'Brien Award: Sean Clifford
Thorpe Award: Lamont Wade
Wuerffel Trophy: Sean Clifford