From The Trussville Tribune Staff Reports
Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham, a redshirt junior from Pinson Valley, has made it to the short list for two of college football biggest honors a defensive player can receive.
On Monday, the former Indians star was selected as a semifinalist for the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker and the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s outstanding defensive player overall.
Cunningham, who played for coach Matt Glover at Pinson Valley, is among 12 semifinalists for the 32nd annual Butkus Award, which honors legendary defender Dick Butkus.
Cunningham is one of 18 semifinalists for the 22nd annual Chuck Bednarik Award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club. Cunningham is one of just four linebackers included among the Bednarik semifinalists.
Cunningham enters November as the Southeastern Conference leader with 85 total tackles, averaging 10.6 stops per game. He also ranks second in the league with 13.5 tackles for loss.
The 6-4, 234-pound Cunningham was the consensus national defensive player of the week after a mid-October performance at Georgia, when he contributed a career-high 19 tackles, including a final stop on fourth-and-1 that clinched Vanderbilt’s 17-16 road victory over the Bulldogs.
Nationally, Cunningham ranks eighth in tackles per game and sixth in tackles for loss. Cunningham has contributed 255 tackles and 36.5 tackles for loss during his Commodore career.
In 2015, he was a unanimous First Team All-SEC performer after contributed 103 tackles.
Joining Cunningham as Butkus Award semifinalists are Ryan Anderson and Reuben Foster, both of Alabama; Jerome Baker and Raekwon McMillan, both of Ohio State; Kendall Beckwith, LSU; Jack Cichy, Wisconsin; Jarrad Davis, Florida; Malik Jefferson, Texas; Josey Jewell, Iowa; Micah Kiser, Virginia; and Azeem Victor, Washington.
In addition to Foster and Davis, others joining Cunningham as Bednarik Award semifinalists are Jonathan Allen (DE), Alabama; Carl Lawson (DE), Auburn; Cordrea Tankersley (CB) and Christian Wilkins (DE) both of Clemson; Desmond King (CB), Iowa; Arden Key (DE) and Tre’Davious White (CB), both of LSU; Jabrill Peppers (LB), Michigan; Nate Gerry (safety), Nebraska; Ejuan Price (DE), Pittsburgh; Solomon Thomas (DE), Stanford; Derek Barnett (DE), Tennessee; Myles Garrett (DE), Texas A&M; Hunter Dimick (DE), Utah; and Budda Baker (safety), Washington.
Cunningham and the Commodores return to action Saturday after a bye week, traveling to face the No. 11 Auburn Tigers. Kickoff is 11 a.m. CDT., and it will be carried by ESPN.