COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football’s Charles Harris (Kansas City, Mo.) has been named to the 2016 Ted Hendricks Award Preseason Watch List, as announced earlier this month by the Ted Hendricks Foundation. The award goes to college football’s top defensive end annually and Harris is one of 28 players named to the list. This is the fourth preseason watch list for Harris after being named to the Bednarik, Butkus and Nagurski watch lists earlier this summer.
Harris was a Second Team All-SEC honoree following the 2015 regular season. He led the SEC in tackles for loss (18.5) and registered seven sacks, emerging as the next star in a long line of standout defensive ends at Mizzou. He anchored the defensive line on one of the nation’s top defenses, starting all 12 games while finishing with 56 total tackles, two forced fumbles and a pass break-up.
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.
On-field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities, contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the Award’s winner. Members of the national media, head coaches, professional scouts and former winners are included in the Award’s voting committee. Candidates may represent any class (Freshman through Senior) as well as any four-year NCAA accredited school. The candidate’s primary position must be defensive end.
The Hendricks Award voting committee will cast two votes: one to narrow the list of candidates to 4-6 finalists, and one to choose our winner for this season. Our Final Mid-Season Watch List will be announced in late November. The 2016 winner will be announced on December 7th.
— Mizzou Athletics —