November 2, 2021

KANSAS STATE’S ANUDIKE-UZOMAH IS BRONKO NAGURSKI NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) – Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah tied a school record with four sacks as part of eight total tackles to go with two forced fumbles as Kansas State (5-3) blasted TCU, 31-12, last Saturday. For the dominant performance that tied a 21-year-old school record, Anudike-Uzomah earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 30, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

This is the fifth time for a Kansas State player to earn this weekly honor and first since last season when safety Jahron McPherson was the pick for the weekend of Sept. 26. Anudike-Uzomah will be added to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.

The 6-3, 255-pound sophomore from Lee’s Summit, Mo., posted sacks on three consecutive plays at one point, finishing the first half with sacks on consecutive plays and then scoring one on TCU’s first snap of the third quarter. The 4.0 sacks tie Chris Johnson’s single-game school record posted against Missouri in 2000.

Anudike-Uzomah was close to tying the all-time FBS record for single-game sacks. His two forced fumbles came on potential sacks that caused the ball to be recovered beyond the original line of scrimmage, thus officially making them rushes instead of sacks by NCAA rule. If the ball had been recovered on the TCU side of the line – regardless of who recovered – those two would have been counted as sacks to give him six on the day to tie a FBS record and break the Big 12 mark.

Anudike-Uzomah is second in the FBS in sacks (10) and forced fumbles (4) and leads the Big 12 in both categories. He is just 1.5 sacks shy of tying the school single-season record with at least four games remaining, and is 13th nationally in tackles for loss (11.5), also tops in the Big 12.

The Wildcats travel to Kansas for the 119th annual Sunshine Showdown at 11 a.m. Saturday on FS1.

Each Tuesday during the regular season, the FWAA has selected a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week since 2001. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce three finalists for the 2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 17. The national defensive player of the year will be chosen from those finalists who are part of the 2021 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet presented by LendingTree on Dec. 6 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.

About the Charlotte Touchdown Club
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. Since 1990, the club has raised and donated nearly $3 million to benefit area high school and collegiate athletics. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.mysites.io). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is touchdownclub.mysites.io.

About LendingTree, Inc.
LendingTree is the nation’s leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, by comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search and choosing the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student refinances, credit cards, insurance and more. Through the My LendingTree platform, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring and recommendations to improve credit health. My LendingTree proactively compares consumers’ credit accounts against offers on their network and notifies consumers when there is an opportunity to save money. LendingTree’s purpose is to help simplify financial decisions for life’s meaningful moments through choice, education and support.

2021 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week
• Weekend of Sept. 4: Jordan Davis, DE, Georgia
• Weekend of Sept. 11: Verone McKinley III, S, Oregon
• Weekend of Sept. 18: Jared Bartlett, DE, West Virginia
• Weekend of Sept. 25: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
• Weekend of Oct. 2: Khoury Bethley, S, Hawaii
• Weekend of Oct. 9: Matt Hankins, CB, Iowa
• Weekend of Oct. 16: Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama
• Weekend of Oct. 23: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE/LB, Oregon
• Weekend of Oct. 30: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State

Related links:
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy (All-Time Winners, Finalists and Players of the Week)
• Download the Bronko Nagurski Trophy presented by LendingTree logo: Primary (.jpg) | Primary (.eps)