Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Andrew Mascharka
Maxx Crosby On Updated Watch List for Hendricks Award
11/22/2017 11:38:00 AM | Football
The award is issued annually by the Ted Hendricks Foundation to the nation’s top defensive end
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University sophomore defensive end Maxx Crosby (Colleyville, Texas-Colleyville Heritage) has been named to the Hendricks Award Final Watch List. Crosby is one of 27 players on the final watch list. The winner will be announced on Dec. 6.
The award goes to a student-athlete who primarily plays defensive end. Among the criteria are on-field performance, attitude, leadership, academic preparedness, along with off-field contributions to school and community.
The award is named for Ted Hendricks, who played at the University of Miami (Fla.) and was college football's first three-time First Team All-American. He went on to a 15-year NFL career, was a member of four Super Bowl-winning teams, and is a member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Crosby posted 11 sacks on the year to tie the EMU single-season record set by Avery Brown set back in 1996. For the season, Crosby ranks second in the conference and tied for third in the country in sacks, while coming in 17th nationally in tackles for loss.
Overall, the Colleyville, Texas product finished with 57 tackles (31 solo, 26 assist) to go along with 16.5 tackles for a loss of 105 yards. He also forced four fumbles, while returning one for a score at Central Michigan University, Nov. 8. Crosby became the first EMU player in the modern statistical era (since 1998) to rack up three sacks in back-to-back games, as he in the process tied the EMU single-game record with a trio of sacks at CMU and Miami, Nov. 15. In addition, his 12.5 career quarterback-take-downs is already fourth-most at EMU since 1998.
The tandem of Crosby and junior Jeremiah Harris (Lambertville, Mich.-Bedford Senior) teamed up to wreak havoc on opposing offenses this season, putting up some of the best tandem numbers in the country. With the combined 17 sacks between the pair, Crosby with 11 and Harris with six, they are tied for the most amount of sacks between two players in the country with Northern Illinois' Sutton Smith and Bobby Jones, who have 13 and four, respectively.
Overall, Eastern Michigan's defense was one of the best units in the conference as well as the country in almost every facet of the game. Heading into week 13, the Eagles ranked in the top-50 nationally in 10 major defensive categories. Furthermore, Defensive Coordinator Neal Neathery's crew proved to be very stingy in the fourth quarter, allowing just 3.8 points per game over the course of the final 15 minutes. Even better at home, the Eagles did not give up a fourth quarter point inside "The Factory". Nationally, EMU ranked seventh in the fewest points given up in the fourth.
The Final 2017 Watch List:
Dorance Armstrong Jr., Kansas
Zach Allen, Boston College
Nick Bosa, Ohio State
Bradley Chubb, N.C. State
Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan
Marcus Davenport, UTSA
Landis Durham, Texas A&M
Da'Sean Downey, UMass
Duke Ejofor, Wake Forest
Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
Carl Granderson, Wyoming
Trent Harris, Miami
Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss
Jalen Jelks, Oregon
Justin Lawler, SMU
Marcus Martin, Slippery Rock
Joe Ostman, Central Michigan
Jonathan Petersen, San Diego
Malik Reed, Nevada
Ja'von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State
Tee Sims, Appalachian State
Sutton Smith, Northern Illinois
Montez Sweat, Ole Miss
Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
Anthony Winbush, Ball State
Chase Winovich, Michigan
Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion
Previous Hendricks Award winners:
2002 - Terrell Suggs (Arizona State)*
2003 - David Pollack (Georgia)*
2004 - David Pollack (Georgia)*
2005 - Elvis Dumerville (Louisville)*
2006 - LaMarr Woodley (Michigan)*
2007 - Chris Long (Virginia)*
2008 - Brian Orakpo (Texas)*
2009 - Jerry Hughes (TCU)*
2010 - Da'Quan Bowers (Clemson)*
2011 - Whitney Mercilus (Illinois)*
2012 - Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina)*
2013 - Jackson Jeffcoat (Texas)
2014 - Nate Orchard (Utah)
2015 - Carl Nassib (Penn State)
2016 - Jonathan Allen (Alabama)
The award goes to a student-athlete who primarily plays defensive end. Among the criteria are on-field performance, attitude, leadership, academic preparedness, along with off-field contributions to school and community.
The award is named for Ted Hendricks, who played at the University of Miami (Fla.) and was college football's first three-time First Team All-American. He went on to a 15-year NFL career, was a member of four Super Bowl-winning teams, and is a member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Crosby posted 11 sacks on the year to tie the EMU single-season record set by Avery Brown set back in 1996. For the season, Crosby ranks second in the conference and tied for third in the country in sacks, while coming in 17th nationally in tackles for loss.
Overall, the Colleyville, Texas product finished with 57 tackles (31 solo, 26 assist) to go along with 16.5 tackles for a loss of 105 yards. He also forced four fumbles, while returning one for a score at Central Michigan University, Nov. 8. Crosby became the first EMU player in the modern statistical era (since 1998) to rack up three sacks in back-to-back games, as he in the process tied the EMU single-game record with a trio of sacks at CMU and Miami, Nov. 15. In addition, his 12.5 career quarterback-take-downs is already fourth-most at EMU since 1998.
The tandem of Crosby and junior Jeremiah Harris (Lambertville, Mich.-Bedford Senior) teamed up to wreak havoc on opposing offenses this season, putting up some of the best tandem numbers in the country. With the combined 17 sacks between the pair, Crosby with 11 and Harris with six, they are tied for the most amount of sacks between two players in the country with Northern Illinois' Sutton Smith and Bobby Jones, who have 13 and four, respectively.
Overall, Eastern Michigan's defense was one of the best units in the conference as well as the country in almost every facet of the game. Heading into week 13, the Eagles ranked in the top-50 nationally in 10 major defensive categories. Furthermore, Defensive Coordinator Neal Neathery's crew proved to be very stingy in the fourth quarter, allowing just 3.8 points per game over the course of the final 15 minutes. Even better at home, the Eagles did not give up a fourth quarter point inside "The Factory". Nationally, EMU ranked seventh in the fewest points given up in the fourth.
The Final 2017 Watch List:
Dorance Armstrong Jr., Kansas
Zach Allen, Boston College
Nick Bosa, Ohio State
Bradley Chubb, N.C. State
Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan
Marcus Davenport, UTSA
Landis Durham, Texas A&M
Da'Sean Downey, UMass
Duke Ejofor, Wake Forest
Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
Carl Granderson, Wyoming
Trent Harris, Miami
Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss
Jalen Jelks, Oregon
Justin Lawler, SMU
Marcus Martin, Slippery Rock
Joe Ostman, Central Michigan
Jonathan Petersen, San Diego
Malik Reed, Nevada
Ja'von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State
Tee Sims, Appalachian State
Sutton Smith, Northern Illinois
Montez Sweat, Ole Miss
Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
Anthony Winbush, Ball State
Chase Winovich, Michigan
Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion
Previous Hendricks Award winners:
2002 - Terrell Suggs (Arizona State)*
2003 - David Pollack (Georgia)*
2004 - David Pollack (Georgia)*
2005 - Elvis Dumerville (Louisville)*
2006 - LaMarr Woodley (Michigan)*
2007 - Chris Long (Virginia)*
2008 - Brian Orakpo (Texas)*
2009 - Jerry Hughes (TCU)*
2010 - Da'Quan Bowers (Clemson)*
2011 - Whitney Mercilus (Illinois)*
2012 - Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina)*
2013 - Jackson Jeffcoat (Texas)
2014 - Nate Orchard (Utah)
2015 - Carl Nassib (Penn State)
2016 - Jonathan Allen (Alabama)
Players Mentioned
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