Bulldog Trio Catching Eye Of Award Lists

MSU RELEASE

STARKVILLE, Miss. – A trio of Bulldogs were honored Monday morning as senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List and junior defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and senior defensive end Montez Sweat were both named to the Bednarik Award Watch List.

Since 1937, the Maxwell Award has been given annually to “America’s College Player of the Year”. Fitzgerald is one of six 2017 Maxwell Award semifinalists to be selected to the 2018 Watch List.

The Richmond Hill, Ga., native turned in an impressive junior campaign in 2017 before an ankle injury during the first quarter of the Egg Bowl ended his season. Fitzgerald accounted for 29 touchdowns and compiled 2,766 yards of total offense to average 230.5 yards per game, which ranked third in the Southeastern Conference. He closed the season just one of three quarterbacks in the FBS to throw for over 1,700 yards and rush for over 900 yards.

Fitzgerald was twice named SEC Offensive Player of the Week and racked up three national Player of the Week honors, including Maxwell Award National Player of the Week, after Mississippi State’s dominating performance against LSU. Fitzgerald leads all returning FBS quarterbacks in career rushing touchdowns, 100-yard rushing games and average yards per carry.

The Bulldogs were one of five SEC programs to have multiple student-athletes named to the 2018 Bednarik Watch List with Simmons and Sweat’s selections. The duo helped forge a Bulldog defense that ranked 10th nationally in total defense, issuing only 306.3 yards per game. It was the best total defensive mark at MSU since 1999.

Despite being double-teamed for most of the 2017 season, Simmons recorded 60 tackles over his sophomore campaign and was tabbed a first-team All-SEC honoree. The Macon, Miss., native ranked 11th in the conference with 12.0 tackles for loss, which includes a career-best five sacks. Defensively, he forced and recovered two fumbles while tallying three blocks on special teams, which tied SMU’s Justin Lawler for the national lead.

A semifinalist for the 2017 Bednarik Award, Simmons also scored twice last season with two touchdowns at Louisiana Tech, becoming the first MSU defensive player since Johnathan Banks in 2009 to score twice in a game. Simmons was also a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week honoree in 2017.

Sweat collected a league-best 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in his debut season en route to a first-team All-SEC selection. The 10.5 sacks ranked seventh in MSU single-season annals as he became the first Bulldog to lead the league in sacks since Willie Evans in 2005. That total also tied for eighth nationally this season. His tackle for loss total was tied for fifth in Bulldog single-season history.

A three-time SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week recipient in 2017, Sweat recorded at least one tackle for loss in 10 of MSU’s 13 games. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native ranked sixth overall on the squad in tackles in 2017 with 46.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced October 29, 2018, while the three finalists for each award will be unveiled November 19, 2018. The winners of the 2018 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 6, 2018. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 8, 2019.