watch list

Football MSU Athletic Communications

Two Bears on Black College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List

ATLANTA, Ga. (August 15, 2018) – Morgan State University senior defensive end Malachi Washington and junior linebacker Rico Kennedy have been named to the 2018 Watch List for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award, the Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced Wednesday. The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College & University.

Kennedy earned Third-Team All-MEAC honors last season after emerging as a talented and aggressive linebacker for the Bears. As a sophomore, he led the team with 70 tackles and ranked No. 5 in the MEAC with 7.5 sacks. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) product also led the league with four forced fumbles and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation (FCS) with 19.5 tackles for loss. 

Kennedy was named earlier this summer to the 2018  Phil Steele'sFCS Preseason All-American Third Team, Preseason BOXTOROW All-American Team, HBCU Gameday Preseason FCS All-American First Team, and was also named to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team.

Washington, a Second-Team All-MEAC selection a season ago, led the Bears on defense as one of the league's premier pass rushers. The junior ranked No. 3 in the league with eight sacks and ranked T-No. 3 in tackles for loss (17; ranked T-No. 8 in FCS). He completed the season with 39 tackles, including a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Washington's preseason accolades include being named to Phil Steele'sPreseason All-MEAC First Team, as well as the HBCU Preseason FCS All-American First Team and the Preseason All-MEAC First Team.

The winner of the 2018 Black College Football Player of the Year Award will be honored with the Deacon Jones Trophy during the Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which takes place on February 16, 2019 in Atlanta. Four finalists will be unveiled on November 29.

"HBCU football has outstanding talent, as evidenced in this year's NFL Draft," said Super Bowl MVP quarterback Doug Williams, a BCFHOF co-founder and 2011 inductee. "This Award is a way that the Black College Football Hall of Fame is is able to recognize these talented student-athletes."

"The Deacon Jones Trophy is the most prestigious football award for HBCUs," said BCFHOF co-founder and 2012 inductee James Harris. "Deacon Jones was a pioneer and an icon, and still to this day represents the very best of Black College Football."

The Watch List candidates have been selected based on past performance and future potential. Additions to the list may be made as the 2018 season progresses. The finalists and the winner will be chosen by a Selection Committee.

Former North Carolina A&T, and current Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Award in 2016; and Bowie State sophomore quarterback Amir Hall was the 2017 recipient.

About The Black College Football Hall of Fame
The Black College Football Hall of Fame was founded in 2009 by African-American pioneers, quarterbacks James Harris and Doug Williams to preserve the history and honor the greatest football players, coaches and contributors from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). There have been 64 Inductees since inception, including Mel Blount, James Harris, Willie Lanier, Art Shell and Doug Williams, who serve as Trustees.

About Deacon Jones
David "Deacon" Jones played defensive end for South Carolina State University and Mississippi Valley State University from 1958 to 1960. Blessed with speed, agility, and quickness, the "Deacon" became one of the finest pass rushers in the business. He won unanimous All-NFL honors six straight years from 1965 through 1970 and was selected to eight Pro Bowls. Jones is an inaugural Black College Football Hall of Fame inductee (2010) and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

About Morgan State University
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of high education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.


 
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Players Mentioned

Rico Kennedy

#28 Rico Kennedy

LB
6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
Malachi Washington

#10 Malachi Washington

DE
6' 2"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Rico Kennedy

#28 Rico Kennedy

6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
LB
Malachi Washington

#10 Malachi Washington

6' 2"
Senior
DE