University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior Davis Tull was named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List today. A defensive end from Knoxville, Tenn., Tull is the two-time Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Tull is the first Moc to win two league player of the year honors and the first defensive player to repeat in the SoCon since Appalachian State’s Dexter Coakley took the award three times from 1994-96. This is the second year in a row Tull has made the Buchanan Award Watch list. He finished 13th in the national voting last season.
“We are excited for Davis and the recognition he is receiving in the preseason,” stated head coach Russ Huesman. “He has been an outstanding member of our program and has worked hard throughout his career. He is a leader on our defense and we are expecting big things from him his senior year.”
Tull is already the Mocs all-time leader with 26.5 career sacks. He is also the active leader in the FCS for career sacks and career forced fumbles (8) and is second among active players in career TFLs (42.5).
“We are very excited about the upcoming season and battling for another Southern Conference Championship,” said Tull. “The individual recognition is great, but our focus is on winning the league and getting to the playoffs.”
The Buchanan will celebrate its 20th anniversary this season and be presented by The Sports Network at the FCS national awards banquet on Dec.
15. Past recipients include two-time winner Dexter Coakley, Jared Allen (the first Big Sky winner in 2003), Rashean Mathis, Kroy Biermann and Montana State's back- to-back winners Caleb Schreibeis in 2012 and Brad Daly last season.
The Buck Buchanan Award Watch List can undergo revision during the 2014 season. Ballots will be sent to a national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season.
The Sports Network also presents the Walter Payton, Jerry Rice and Eddie Robinson awards. The Payton Award honors the outstanding player in the FCS, the Rice Award goes to the FCS freshman of the year and the Robinson Award is bestowed upon the FCS coach of the year.