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Boise State Athletics
Horton, Nawahine Named To Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
7/23/2018 12:11:00 PM | Football
BOISE, Idaho -Â Week Two of #WatchListSZN opened Monday, with two more Broncos being named preseason award candidates. Senior cornerback Tyler Horton and junior safety Kekoa Nawahine were named to the 2018 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, given annually to the nation's top defensive back, by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
It is the second preseason watch list addition this year for Horton, who was also named a candidate for the Bednarik Award on July 16. For Nawahine, it is his first selection to a preseason award watch list.
Emerging as a leader in his position group in 2017 was Horton, Boise State's top coverage man. Consistently drawing the assignment of covering the opposition's top receiver, Horton stepped up to the challenge, being named to the All-Mountain West First Team as he picked off two passes and led the Broncos with 11 pass-breakups. He also proved his value as a tackler, ranking fifth on the team with 44 tackles (26 solo), including 3.0 tackles-for-loss.
Horton also showed a nose for the football, as in addition to his two interceptions, he recovered two fumbles, with one clinching Boise State's 59-52 overtime win at Colorado State on Nov. 11, and the second being returned 21 yards for a touchdown Nov. 18 against Air Force.
Nawahine built off of the promise of the strong finish to his freshman season in 2016, being named to the All-Mountain West Second Team last year. Nawahine hit the century mark with 108 tackles, teaming with Leighton Vander Esch to become the first pair of Broncos to each hit the 100-tackle mark in a season since 2005. Nawahine, a Meridian native, was also a force in the defense's ball-hawking ways, sharing with Vander Esch the Bronco lead in interceptions (three) while also picking up a fumble.
Both Horton and Nawahine were named to the Preseaosn All-Mountain West Teams by Athlon Sports and philsteele.com earlier this summer.
Boise State opens the 2018 campaign at Troy on Sept. 1, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. MT on ESPNews.
Boise State Players On 2018 Preseason Watch Lists
TE John Bates
John Mackey Award
CB Tyler Horton
Bednarik Award
Jim Thorpe Award
RB Alexander Mattison
Doak Walker Award
S Kekoa Nawahine
Jim Thorpe Award
QB Brett Rypien
Maxwell Award
Davey O'Brien Award
It is the second preseason watch list addition this year for Horton, who was also named a candidate for the Bednarik Award on July 16. For Nawahine, it is his first selection to a preseason award watch list.
Emerging as a leader in his position group in 2017 was Horton, Boise State's top coverage man. Consistently drawing the assignment of covering the opposition's top receiver, Horton stepped up to the challenge, being named to the All-Mountain West First Team as he picked off two passes and led the Broncos with 11 pass-breakups. He also proved his value as a tackler, ranking fifth on the team with 44 tackles (26 solo), including 3.0 tackles-for-loss.
Horton also showed a nose for the football, as in addition to his two interceptions, he recovered two fumbles, with one clinching Boise State's 59-52 overtime win at Colorado State on Nov. 11, and the second being returned 21 yards for a touchdown Nov. 18 against Air Force.
Nawahine built off of the promise of the strong finish to his freshman season in 2016, being named to the All-Mountain West Second Team last year. Nawahine hit the century mark with 108 tackles, teaming with Leighton Vander Esch to become the first pair of Broncos to each hit the 100-tackle mark in a season since 2005. Nawahine, a Meridian native, was also a force in the defense's ball-hawking ways, sharing with Vander Esch the Bronco lead in interceptions (three) while also picking up a fumble.
Both Horton and Nawahine were named to the Preseaosn All-Mountain West Teams by Athlon Sports and philsteele.com earlier this summer.
Boise State opens the 2018 campaign at Troy on Sept. 1, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. MT on ESPNews.
Boise State Players On 2018 Preseason Watch Lists
TE John Bates
John Mackey Award
CB Tyler Horton
Bednarik Award
Jim Thorpe Award
RB Alexander Mattison
Doak Walker Award
S Kekoa Nawahine
Jim Thorpe Award
QB Brett Rypien
Maxwell Award
Davey O'Brien Award
Players Mentioned
TE
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CB
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RB
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S
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QB
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