ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Navy senior linebacker Diego Fagot has been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List by the Maxwell Football Club.
 
The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995 and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, a former standout at the University of Pennsylvania and with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame's Class of '67.
 
The Bednarik Award watch list is comprised of 90 candidates on the defensive side of the ball. Last year's winner Zaven Collins (Tulsa) and fellow finalists Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Notre Dame) and Patrick Surtain II (Alabama) have all moved on to the NFL. The list features two returning semifinalists from 2020, Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati) and Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame). Fagot is the only Service Academy player on the list.
 
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF), XOS ThunderCloud and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, and several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele's College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine. XOS ThunderCloud provides the Maxwell Club selection committee with access to game footage from all FBS colleges.
 
Fagot was named Second-Team All-AAC in 2020 and First-Team All-AAC in 2019 by the league's coaches.  He has started 23 of the last 24 games dating back to the 2018 season.
 
Last year, Fagot led the Mids in tackles (72), tackles for a loss (11) and sacks (3) while appearing in 9 of Navy's 10 games (missed one game due to an injury).
 
As a junior, Fagot started all 13 games and led the Mids in tackles (100), while finishing second in tackles for a loss (12) and sacks (5.5).
 
Navy kicks off the 2021 season at home on Sept. 4 against Marshall and then plays host to Air Force the following week on Sept. 11.
 
Tickets are available now at https://navysports.com/sports/2019/12/10/tickets-navy-tickets-m-footbl-html.aspx or by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY.