Mizzou Football junior DE Shane Ray (Kansas City, Mo.) has been added to the watch list for the 20th Chuck Bednarik Award, presented annually to college football’s defensive player of the year. Additions were made by the Maxwell Football Club to bring attention to several noteworthy players from thus far in the 2014 season.

Ray has been one of the standout defensive players across the college football landscape in 2014, ranking second nationally in tackles-for-loss (12.5) and tied for third in sacks (8.0). His 8.0-sack total through six games is already tied for the eighth-best single-season mark in Mizzou history.

In his first season as a full-time starter, Ray has easily surpassed his 2013 totals (14 games). While backing up future NFL Draft picks Kony Ealy and Michael Sam, Ray registered 9.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks among 39 total tackles.

Ray joins teammate Markus Golden (St. Louis, Mo.) on the watch list. The senior Tiger has been stout in 2014, totaling 8.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks among 35 stops.

Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced on November 3 and three finalists for the award will be announced November 24. The winner of the 2014 Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show which will be held on December 11. The formal presentation will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 13, 2015.

The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club’s Selection Committee and the Maxwell Club reserves the right to make additions and subtractions to these lists as the 2014 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA Sports Information Directors, Head Coaches and selected national media are eligible to vote for these awards.

— MU Sports Information —