MANHATTAN — Kansas State running back John Hubert and defensive back Ty Zimmerman were named to the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell and Bednarik awards, respectively, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.
Both players were named to the lists for the first time in their careers. Hubert is the third Wildcat to be a candidate for the Maxwell Award — given to the collegiate player of the year — and the second in the last two years as Collin Klein was a finalist for the award in 2012. Zimmerman is the fourth Wildcat, including the third in the last two years, to be up for the Bednarik Award as the collegiate defensive player of the year. Linebacker Arthur Brown was one of 16 semifinalists last year, while defensive back Nigel Malone was a preseason candidate.
Hubert, one of six Big 12 players up for the Maxwell Award, is coming off a season in which he led the Wildcats and ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 947 yards and 15 touchdowns on 189 carries. The Waco, Texas, product earned All-Big 12 First Team honors from the league’s coaches and became the school’s 25th career 1,000-yard rusher in last year’s season opener. He enters his senior campaign 15 yards shy of entering the school’s career top-10 list with 1,945 yards.
An All-Big 12 performer in each of his first three seasons, Zimmerman is one of seven Big 12 defenders included on the initial watch list for the 2013 Bednarik Award. An All-American by multiple outlets last season, Zimmerman carded 50 tackles and tied for 10th nationally with five interceptions, each of which came in Big 12 play to lead the league. An All-Big 12 First Team performer, Zimmerman recorded picks in four-straight games and enters his senior season seventh in school history in career interceptions and eighth in interception return yards (146).
Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik awards will be announced Oct. 29, while the three finalists for both awards will be unveiled November 25. The winners of the 2013 Maxwell and Bednarik awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held on December 12. The formal presentations of the awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala in Atlantic City, N.J., on March 7, 2014.
The Wildcats kick off the 2013 campaign and open the new West Stadium Center against two-time FCS National Champion North Dakota State on Friday, Aug. 30. The sold-out contest kicks off at 7:30 p.m., and will be shown nationally on FOX Sports 1.
All season tickets have been sold out in addition to single-game tickets for the North Dakota State and Iowa State games as only scattered singles remain for the other six home contests in 2013. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or in person at the K-State Athletics ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.