By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
BIRMINGHAM — UAB senior safety and Hewitt-Trussville graduate Grayson Cash was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List on Tuesday, July 26.
The award presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.
Cash, who is one of the players who signed with UAB when the program re-opened in 2017, said that playing for Josh Floyd at Hewitt-Trussville was helpful in making the jump to college ball.
“… when he got there you could tell there was a culture shift more towards how a college program is ran,” Cash said, “the off-season training and lifting we did in high school isn’t too far off from the level it is in college. College will always be a little bit of a shock to you coming from high school, but the way Coach Floyd ran things made it a smooth transition for me.”
Cash earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors in 2021. His play was highlighted by a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against Florida Atlantic; he also blocked a punt and recovered it for a touchdown at Southern Miss.
Cash ended the season with 23 tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups and two blocked punts.
“I think playing offense my whole life has helped me have good instincts as a defender,” Cash said. “Understanding how offenses are trying to attack us as a defense and understanding an offense’s scheme for us that game helps.”
Cash’s has six interceptions for his career. One more will propel him into the top 10 all-time for the Blazers in that category.
Cash is one of three remaining players who has been on the team since the Blazers made their return to the playing field in 2017. Fellow safety Will Boler and outside linebacker Kyle Harrell are the others. For Cash, even though being named to the Nagurski Trophy watchlist is nice, it’s not his main goal in 2022.
“(The) goal is definitely finish off with a championship,” he said. “That is all I am really worried about for this year.”