Taylor Mays is a semifinalist for Bednarik and Thorpe

By Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz · Daily Trojan

Posted November 5, 2009 at 12:07 am in Blogs, Trojan Fix

In his four years at USC, Taylor Mays has picked up plenty of superlatives. On Wednesday, the senior safety made the cut for two awards that would further add to his resume.

Mays was named a semifinalist for both the Bednarik Award, given to the best defensive player in college football, and the Thorpe Award, given to the best defensive back in college football. Some may be surprised to see Mays on the list because he has just one interception this year, but last year he was named a Thorpe Award finalist with no interceptions. He eventually lost out to Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins, however, so maybe a little stat-padding could help his cause.

The 6-foot-3 safety has been active in the secondary, however. With 55 tackles, he’s on track for a career high in the statistic – the most he had was 65 tackles as sophomore.

Mays faces stiff competition on both lists, however. Tennessee’s Eric Berry is on both lists, though he too has struggled with producing gaudy stats this year.

Comments are closed.

More News

Current Weather

CloudyLA Downtown, CA
53°F (feels like 53°F)
Weather data provided by weather.com®

Daily Trojan Poll

Do you think student basketball manager Stan Holt should have been fired following his technical foul in last week's game?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Archives

November 2009
S M T W T F S
« Oct   Dec »
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  

Browse Archives

News

Undergraduate applications from China up dramatically

For the past few years, USC has earned the honor of being the university with the largest international student population, but competition — even for ...

Program for local students receives grant

Neighborhood students who dream of one day entering the Trojan family now have a little more support. The USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative, a program aimed at ...

Campaigning begins today for USG hopefuls

Beginning Monday, the campus will be blanketed with colorful fliers, pamphlets and posters as the candidates for Undergraduate Student Government begin vying for students’ votes. Campaign ...

Students voice support for phase two of Expo line

On the same night USC students voiced their opinions at an Expo Line Construction Authority Board meeting about the benefits of the new light rail, ...

Career center holds first Career Fest

Despite the pessimism pervading the job market right now, speakers and panelists at the first ever USC Career Fest have remained optimistic and are encouraging ...

Busted

[caption id="attachment_8104" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Sunil Murali | Daily Trojan"][/caption] President Steven B. Sample presents the new Dr. Norman H. Topping Commemorative Monument, a gift from the ...

Opinion

Fake candy hearts found at USC year round

Fake candy hearts found at USC year round

Despite being married to an attractive older woman, Ashton Kutcher recently voiced a surprising opinion. “I hate Valentine’s Day,” he said. I couldn’t agree more. The rose ...

This little swine flu went all the way home

After months of commotion, it looks like the swine flu epidemic is finally coming to a close. No more mass school shutdowns, no more hurried ...

Shedding light on an overlooked friend

Light is responsible for your visual perception of everything: the blueness of the sky, the glistening morning dewdrops on spider webs and the readability of ...

Taking a look into the Facebook mirror

Attention: doppelgĂ€nger week is over. [caption id="attachment_8201" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Sullivan Brown | Daily Trojan"][/caption] So here’s to the end of seeing a greasy, rippling Zac Efron, three ...

Global warming does not have political ties

On most mornings, I leave my apartment looking forward to the day ahead of me. I swing open the front door and mount my bike, ...

Uncovering the burka debate in France

America has long been considered the world’s melting pot ­— assimilating different cultures, ethnicities and religions under one flag, one country, one identity. Europe, on the ...

Sports

Bush highlights former Trojans at the Super Bowl

Bush highlights former Trojans at the Super Bowl

After the New Orleans Saints’ 31-17 victory in the Super Bowl on Sunday, three former Trojans joined a long list of ex-USC football players with ...

Sills’ recruitment a sign of the times

Less than a week ago, most people were praising Lane Kiffin’s recruiting tactics after, according to Rivals.com, he signed the No. 1 recruiting class in ...

Women of Troy lead after strong first day

Sophomore Jennifer Song and senior Belen Mozo tied a USC record as the No. 9 women’s golf team took the lead after the first day ...

Trojans complete yet another sweep

If there has been a constant for the No. 1 USC men’s tennis team  — other than non-conference home victories — it has been rain ...

Women of Troy looking for a second chance

This time around, they’re going to finish. Eight months after the then-No. 3 women’s golf team lost the lead on the last day of the ...

Women of Troy unable to handle streaking Cardinal

A lot can change in two weeks. The USC women’s basketball team was riding high 10 days ago after a convincing win over Oregon State.  Winners ...

Lifestyle

Super Bowl advertisers step up marketing game

Super Bowl advertisers step up marketing game

So another Super Bowl Sunday has passed, leaving multitudes of football fans scratching their heads as to what to do on weekends. But don’t be ...

An indie-rock mixtape for the post-love song soundscape

When popular music first turned to Tin Pan Alley songs of the 1920s, it was led by songwriting greats such as George and Ira Gershwin ...

Anti-cancer benefit captures DIY spirit

While most L.A. 20-somethings spent this Sunday holed up in their living rooms blazing through cases of beer while watching the New Orleans Saints take ...

Not just butterbeer for college Britons

The day has finally arrived when I can legally buy alcohol. No, I didn’t have a birthday, and I’m still only 20 — I’m in ...

Downtown cafe pleases picky palates

There are two sides to the foodie debate, represented by the opposing factions of sweet and savory. While the sweet camp happily dives right into ...

Award recognizes novelists behind films

Outside Doheny Memorial Library Saturday night, two of us took refuge beneath the building’s grand archway from the clamor of chatter, clinking cocktail glasses and ...