NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State senior free safety Terrell Whitehead (Virginia Beach, Va.) added one more preseason accolade to his resume on Tuesday when he was named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, as announced by The Sports Network.
The Buchanan Award is handed out annually to the best defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Whitehead is one of 20 players on the initial list and is the only MEAC player to be selected. Whitehead was also named to last year's preseason Buchanan Award watch list.
A total of 20 candidates have been announced, four at a time, in alphabetical order, over the past five weeks. The watch list will be revised in October and again in November, before the final ballot is announced. This year's winner will be announced on the eve of the FCS national championship game in early December.
Whitehead led the Spartans and ranked seventh in the MEAC with 83 tackles last year. He had the second-most passes defended (15) of any MEAC player, tallying four interceptions and 11 pass deflections. His four picks gave him 13 for his career and tied for fourth-most in the MEAC.
Whitehead's other preseason honors include: MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-American by The Sports Network and Consensus Draft Services, and first-team All-MEAC.
Following is a complete listing of the preseason Buchanan Award watch list members:
Christian Anthony, DE, Grambling
Danny Batten, DE, South Dakota State
Tommy Connors, SS, Southeastern Louisiana
Dane Fletcher, DE, Montana State
Charles Graves, FS, Delaware
Larry Hart, DE, Central Arkansas
Brandin Jordan, LB, Southern Illinois
Austen Lane, DE, Murray State
Mark LeGree, FS, Appalachian State
Jeromy Miles, SS, Massachusetts
Josh Morris, CB, Weber State
Osayi Osunde, LB, Villanova
Justin Rogers, CB, Richmond
James Ruffin, DE, Northern Iowa
Mychal Savage, DT, Youngstown State
Adrian Tracy, DE, William & Mary
Terrell Whitehead, FS, NSU (added Tuesday)
Jabara Williams, LB, Stephen F. Austin (added Tuesday)
Jeffery Williams, LB, Gardner-Webb (added Tuesday)
Chris Wynn, CB, Penn (added Tuesday)
