Talented Bulldogs finding names on watch lists

July 12, 2012

Johnthan Banks senior year promises to be filled with a lot of individual success as well as team success. (Photo by Michael Wardlaw, SDN)

Ask almost any college athlete and they’ll quickly tell you preseason individual honors mean virtually nothing. 

The goal is to win championships as a team and in doing so the individual honors will take care of themselves.  

While these awards may carry very little weight when attempting to satisfy team goals, they can shed light on just how talented a team is perceived to be. 

In Mississippi State’s case the Bulldogs are being well represented on the various watch list being released this week. 

Johnthan Banks, Malcolm Johnson, Dillon Day, Josh Boyd, and Gabe Jackson have been each been named to a variety of watch list this week. 

Earlier this week Banks was listed among the top defensive athletes on the 2012 Bednarik Award watch list. The senior defensive back also learned he would be named to the All-SEC first team by the league’s
coaches. 

Days after learning he would be sidelined for a period of time with an undisclosed injury, Johnson was added to the Mackey Award watch list, an award that goes to the nation’s top tight end. 

A pair of Bulldogs in the offensive line are being recognized as Day and Jackson both saw their names on prestigious list. Day joined 50 other centers on the Rimington Trophy Preseason watch list, 
Jackson, who started all 13 games last season at left guard, finds himself in the running for the nation’s best interior lineman on the Outland Trophy watch list. 

Boyd joins Jackson on the Outland Trophy list as well as being named to the All-SEC team announced on Thursday. The defensive tackle recorded 51 tackles in 2011, including 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Boyd dominated the top two teams in college football from a year ago, racking up 18 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss combined against national champion Alabama and national runner-up LSU.