Nov. 29, 2012

The Ted Hendricks Foundation is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2012 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award. Twenty players received votes in the preliminary round this season. Six have advanced to the final ballot.

This year’s finalists are as follows:

MORGAN BRESLIN – SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 6’2″ 250 lbs JR Breslin stepped into the gaping hole left by the departure of last year’s Hendricks award finalist Nick Perry. The results speak for themselves. He is tied UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr for the conference lead in sacks with 12 and is tied for second in the PAC-12 with 18 tackles for loss. Breslin came to USC this past spring after leading all California Junior College players in sacks and tackles for loss for two straight seasons. He was named a JC first team All-American after his second season at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hills, CA.

CORNELIUS CARRADINE – FLORIDA STATE 6’5″ 265 lbs SR Carradine recorded 80 tackles, 11 sacks and 9 QB pressures this season – this after being called upon to replace Seminole star Brandon Jenkins, who was lost for the season with a foot injury in week 1. Carradine has also now been lost for the ACC Championship and subsequent bowl game after suffering a torn ACL vs Florida this past week. But his effect on the Seminoles season cannot be forgotten. Carradine teamed with Bjoern Werner to form the most dominant defensive end duo in the nation (combining for 24 sacks, 31 tackles for loss and 14 QB hurries).

Jadeveon Clowney – SOUTH CAROLINA 6’8″ 256 lbs SO Clowney was named to the AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-America Team this week. He leads the nation in tackles for loss with 21.5, and is tied for the NCAA lead with 13 sacks. He has also set new school standards for sacks in a single game (4.5 vs Clemson) and sacks in a single season. Clowney was named the 2011 SEC Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches after recording eight sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He was named SEC Defensive lineman of the week three times in 2012. He is also a finalist for the 2012 Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award and Bednarik Award.

SAM MONTGOMERY – LSU 6’5″ 260 lbs JR Montgomery has been regarded as one of the most dominant ends in the SEC for the past two seasons. He is now a two-time Hendricks Award finalist, after making the list in 2011. The junior from Greenwood, SC nearly chose to play basketball and football at North Carolina, after being a teenage club teammate of Washington Wizards guard John Wall. Montgomery was twice selected the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week this season. His 2012 totals include 32 tackles, 7 sacks, 12 tackles-for-loss and one safety. Has played in all 24 games since a season-ending injury in 2010.

DAMONTRE MOORE – TEXAS A&M 6’4″ 250 lbs JR Moore made the switch from linebacker this season and is has paid off in a big way. He leads the Aggies in tackles (80), sacks (12.5), tackles for loss (20), QB hurries (8) and blocked kicks (2). The last Aggie lineman to lead his team in tackles was NFL Pro Bowl end/tackle Sam Adams in 1993. Moore’s performance this season has earned him a spot on the AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-America team and two selections as the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week.

BJOERN WERNER – FLORIDA STATE 6’4″ 255 lbs JR Werner is the 2012 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He is tied for first in the nation with 13 sacks and is second in the ACC in tackles for loss (18). A native of Berlin, Germany, Werner came to the United States as a high school exchange student and attended Salisbury High in Connecticut. He has played in all 39 games since arriving at Florida State and has recorded 23.5 career sacks. Werner has also been recognized as one of the top student-athletes in his class. He joins Jadeveon Clowney as a finalist for the 2012 Nagurski Trophy.

The final vote for 2012 Hendricks Award will be concluded on December 4, and the winner will be announced December 5. This year’s winner will be honored at the Hendricks Award Dinner in the spring of 2013 in Miami, Fla. Time and place are to be determined.