• Seven Bears on preseason watch lists for 11 national football awards

    Cyril Richardson

    Exactly one month from today, Baylor football will kick off the 2013 season vs. Wofford (6:30 p.m., FSN). The Bears begin the fall with high expectations, coming off a program-record three straight bowl appearances and having received first-place votes in the Big 12 preseason poll for the first time in program history.

    The team on the field will be as talented as any in recent history, with more than half a dozen players on preseason watch lists for national awards:

    • NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Junior running back Lache Seastrunk was listed among 50 players to watch for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and among 76 student-athletes on the Maxwell Award watch list.
    • DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Junior linebacker Bryce Hager is one of 81 players listed on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and among 75 men on the Bednarik Award watch list.
    • TOP RUNNING BACK: Seastrunk and senior Glasco Martin were both named preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award.
    • TOP RECEIVER: For the second straight year, senior Tevin Reese is among the 75-man watch list for the 2013 Biletnikoff Award.
    • TOP TIGHT END: Senior Jordan Najvar also made his second straight appearance on the watch list for the John Mackey Award.
    • TOP DEFENSIVE BACK: Senior Ahmad Dixon is one of 48 players on the Jim Thorpe Award‘s 2013 watch list.
    • TOP LINEMAN: Hager and senior offensive lineman Cyril Richardson both made the preliminary watch list for the 2013 Rotary Lombardi Award.
    • TOP LINEBACKER: Hager was also named to the watch list for the Butkus Award.
    • TOP INTERIOR LINEMAN: Richardson has also been recognized on the watch list for the Outland Trophy.

    Season tickets are on sale now; most single-game tickets go on sale Aug. 7, along with tickets for Family Weekend and Homecoming events like After Dark and Pigskin Revue. Stay tuned for more details on those offerings.

    Sic ’em, Baylor football!