June 13, 2006

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Navy senior linebacker Rob Caldwell (St. John, Ind.) has been named to the initial watch list for the 12th annual Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given to the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year.

Caldwell is coming off a spectacular junior campaign, leading the Mids with 140 tackles, the most by a Navy player since Javier Zuluaga recorded 144 in 1993 and the seventh most in school history.

Caldwell ranked 10th in the country in tackles per game (11.67) in 2005 and is the second leading returning tackler in the nation, behind Patrick Willis of Mississippi (12.80). Caldwell, who was a First-Team All-East selection, was one of just 13 players nationally to record 20 or more tackles in a game last year, recording 21 in Navy's thrilling win over Air Force.

Twelve semi-finalists for each award will be announced in October and the field will be trimmed to three finalists in November. The winner of the Bednarik Award will be announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show that will be broadcast on ESPN.

Navy opponents on the Bednarik watch list include linebacker Nick Bunting of Tulsa and safety Tom Zbikowski of Notre Dame.