UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State redshirt junior cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has been named a Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist, it was announced by the Maxwell Football Club. In addition, redshirt senior quarterback Sean Clifford has been named a Wuerffel Trophy semifinalist.
The Bednarik Award is presented annually to the most outstanding defensive player in college football. Porter is one of 20 semifinalists.
Named after Danny Wuerffel, 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service in the world. Clifford is one of 12 semifinalists.
Joey Porter, Jr. · R-Jr. · CB · 6-2 · 198 · Bakersfield, Calif. · North Allegheny (Pa.)
- Porter has played in 33 career games with the Nittany Lions and has made 29 starts.
- He is also a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and a Midseason AP All-American.
- Penn State has held opponents to a 53.6 completion percentage (164-of-306), good for eighth in the country and fourth among Power Five teams.
- Porter Jr. and sophomore Kalen King are tied second in the nation with 11 pass breakups and 13th in the country averaging 1.57 per game.
- Porter tallied a career-high six pass breakups against Purdue, earning Bednarik Award National Player of the Week honors.
- Porter's six pass breakups vs. the Boilermakers set a school record and tied a Big Ten single-game record. He matched Michigan's Jourdan Lewis (vs. Michigan State, 2015) and Minnesota's Michael Carter (vs. Purdue, 2012).
- Porter's six pass breakups are tied for the most in a single game for an FBS player since Houston's William Jackson III had seven against Temple in 2015.
Sean Clifford · R-Sr.+ · QB · 6-2 · 212 · Cincinnati, Ohio · Saint Xavier
- Clifford is in his fourth season as Penn State's starting signal caller, having played in 46 career games, making 41 starts.
- Clifford joins Jonathan Sutherland as the only four-time team captains in program history.
- Against Purdue, Clifford joined Zack Mills (2001-04) and Tony Sacca (1988-92) as the only quarterbacks to start a game in four different seasons at Penn State.
- Clifford earned Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week following his performance at Purdue, tallying 282 passing yards and tied a career high with four touchdown passes against Purdue. He also rushed for a 2-yard touchdown.
- The senior was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week following the Minnesota game. He was also named one of the Davey O'Brien Award's Great 8 quarterbacks of the week.
- Against Ohio State, Clifford became Penn State's all-time leader with 78 passing touchdowns.
- Clifford owns 30 career games with multiple touchdown passes, 16 games with three or more TDs and five games with four TD passes.
- Clifford has recorded 10 career games with both a passing and rushing touchdown. Penn State is 9-1 in those games.
- Clifford has completed 133 career passes of 20 or more yards, including 28 this season.
The Chuck Bednarik Award will announce its three finalists on November 22. The winner of the 28th Bednarik Award will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the 86th Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala in Atlantic, City, N.J. on March 10, 2023.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and went on to be an All-Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame as a full-time player on offense and defense.
The formal announcement of the 2022 recipient is scheduled to be made December 8 and the presentation of the 2022 Wuerffel Trophy will occur on February 24, 2023, at the 54th All Sports Association Awards Banquet in Fort Walton Beach.
No. 16/16 Penn State travels to Bloomington, Indiana on Saturday, November 5, where it will take on the Hoosiers of Indiana. The contest will kick off at 3:30 and will be televised on ABC.
The 2022 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.