NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State redshirt junior linebacker Lynden Trail was named Friday to the watch list of candidates for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually by The Sports Network to the best defensive player among the nation's 122 Football Championship Subdivision schools.
Trail and 19 other players currently make up the list of the top 20 candidates. A panel of media and FCS sports information directors from around the nation vote for the award, which will be presented along with the Walter Payton (top FCS offensive player) and Eddie Robinson (top FCS coach) awards on Dec. 16 in Philadelphia. The Buchanan watch list can still be revised before the final ballot is distributed.
Trail is a two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honoree, and was named TSN's FCS Co-National Defensive Player of the Week on Monday following his performance in the win at No. 12 Bethune-Cookman last Saturday. Trail had eight tackles, 2.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup in addition to catching his team-leading third touchdown pass of the year to hand the Wildcats their first MEAC loss since 2011.
That was just one in a series of outstanding performances this season by Trail. In the Spartans' first win, at Morgan State, Trail intercepted two passes and had the first TD catch of his career. The following week against Savannah State, Trail caught another scoring pass in addition to recording a sack, two pass breakups and a block of the potential game-winning field goal in the closing seconds.
For the year, the 6-7, 260-pound Trail has 70 tackles, 10.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups, eight quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. He also leads the Spartans with four total touchdowns – three on TD catches and one on a fumble recovery. Trail ranks in the MEAC's top 10 in forced fumbles (T-1st), sacks (T-5th), passes defended and fumble recoveries (T-7th in both).
Trail is the first Spartan to earn a spot on the Buchanan Award watch list since safety Terrell Whitehead advanced to the final ballot in 2009.
The award is named in honor of late National Football League player Junious "Buck" Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State University. Buchanan was an All-American defensive lineman and the first overall pick in the 1963 American Football League (AFL) Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Past Buchanan winners include NFL standouts Kroy Biermann (2007 winner), Jared Allen (2003) and Rashean Mathis (2002), a former pupil of current NSU coach Pete Adrian when the latter served as defensive coordinator at Bethune-Cookman.
The complete Buchanan Watch List is available here.
