FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas senior Trey Flowers was named Monday to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation's college defensive player of the year.
Flowers, a second-team All-SEC choice in 2013, elected to return for his senior season after recording 44 tackles, including 13 1/2 for loss, 5 sacks, 5 hurries, 3 forced fumbles, 2 breakups and an interception.
The 76-member watch list was chosen by a selection committee for the Maxwell Football Club. Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award, named for the college and NFL Hall of Fame performer, will be announced Nov. 3, the three finalists will be revealed Nov. 24 and the winner will be announced Dec. 11.
Flowers will enter the season tied for 11th on Arkansas' career tackles for loss list with 32 and 16th with 12 sacks.
Hogs to Hoover
Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers will headline the three Razorbacks seniors headed to Hoover, Ala., next week for the annual SEC media days. Flowers is a native of Huntsville, Ala., which is less than a two-hour drive from the site of media days.
Flowers will be accompanied by second-year Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema, offensive tackle Brey Cook and safety Alan Turner.
Cook, a Springdale Har-Ber graduate, has made 17 starts in 35 career games, including 11 starts in 2013 when he split time at guard and tackle. Cook is slated to play right tackle this fall. Turner, a Junction City product with 14 career starts, led the Razorbacks with 97 tackles last year from his strong safety position to rank seventh in the SEC. He also posted 5 pass breakups, 2 interceptions and 1 quarterback hurry.
The Razorbacks are scheduled to appear at media days Wednesday, along with LSU, Missouri and SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw. The format for the annual media gathering was expanded this year from three to four days. SEC Commissioner Mike Slive will open the event Monday with his annual address, to be followed by Auburn, Florida and Vanderbilt.
Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M will appear Tuesday, and Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Ole Miss are set for Thursday.
Maxwell list
Arkansas running backs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams were named Monday to the 78-man watch list for the Maxwell Award, named for sports writer Robert W. Maxwell, which has been given annually since 1937 to the nation's top college football player.
The Razorbacks are one of four schools with two running backs named to the list, joining Alabama, Oregon and Texas. Arkansas is one of 19 schools with two or more players on the list.
Collins, the SEC freshman of the year and a freshman all-American, rushed for 1,026 yards last year to join Darren McFadden in 2005 as the only Arkansas freshman to top the 1,000-yard mark. Collins also became the first collegian since Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson to rush for 100 yards or more in the first three games of his career.
Willliams rushed for 900 yards and was named an honorable mention on College Football News' All-Sophomore team. Williams and Collins became Arkansas' second pair of teammates to reach 900 rushing yards in a season, joining McFadden and Felix Jones. In 2007, McFadden rushed for 1,830 yards and Jones had 1,113. In 2006, McFadden had 1,647 yards and Jones finished with 1,168.
Maxwell Award semifinalists will be announced Nov. 3. The three semifinalists will be announced Nov. 24 and the winner will be named Dec. 11.
Cowan dismissed
Receiver D'Arthur Cowan's up and down tenure with the Arkansas Razorbacks has come to an end.
Coach Bret Bielema has dismissed Cowan from the team after the receiver began the summer on suspension due to academic concerns.
Cowan, a 6-3, 186-pound junior from Olive Branch, Miss., missed most of spring to concentrate on his academics.
A foot injury limited him to catching 4 passes for 26 yards in the final 6 games last year. Cowan also appeared in six games as a true freshman, taking his redshirt off in Arkansas' 49-7 victory over Kentucky and finishing the year with 10 kickoff returns for 176 yards and 3 receptions for 14 yards.
Cowan was rated as the No. 7 player in Mississippi by Rivals.com as a senior in 2011 as he helped Olive Branch win the Class 6A state championship.
Sports on 07/08/2014