Gilbert, Giles-Harris on Bednarik Award Watch List

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke junior cornerback Mark Gilbert and redshirt junior linebacker Joe Giles-Harris were named to the preseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, an honor given annually to the top defensive player in the nation by the Maxwell Football Club. It is the first career selection for each on the Bednarik Award Watch List.

Between the two, Gilbert and Giles-Harris have combined to be placed on eight preseason All-America squads and have been unanimous preseason first team All-ACC picks by Athlon Sports, Lindy's Sports, Phil Steele's College Football Preview and Street & Smith's College Football Yearbook.

Gilbert is a preseason All-America selection by Street & Smith's College Football Yearbook (1st team), Athlon Sports (2nd), Lindy's Sports (2nd), Sporting News (2nd) and Phil Steele (4th). A native of Fayetteville, N.C., Gilbert was listed by Lindy's Sports as the No. 4 cornerback in the nation and charted as the No. 7 cornerback and the No. 71 overall player in the country by Sports Illustrated.

He set the Duke single-season record for total passes defended with 21 (six interceptions & 15 pass breakups) in 2017 and is the only player in Duke history to record five or more interceptions and 15 or more pass breakups in a single campaign. In 25 career games (16 starts), Gilbert has tallied 53 tackles, 5.0 tackles for lost yardage, six interceptions and 17 pass breakups.

Giles-Harris returns for his third year as a starting linebacker for the Blue Devils. He is a preseason second team All-America selection by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele and Sporting News. The Nyack, N.Y., product is listed by Lindy's Sports as the No. 3 outside linebacker in the nation and is charted as the No. 15 linebacker and the No. 99 overall player in the country by Sports Illustrated. Last fall, Giles-Harris was selected as a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award.

In 25 career games (25 starts), Giles-Harris has 232 tackles, 25.5 tackles for lost yardage, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, six pass breakups, one caused fumble, one fumble recovery and 13 quarterback pressures. He enters the 2018 season as one of eight active players nationally with 200 or more career tackles, 20.0 or more career TFL and 8.0 or more career sacks.

The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Chuck Bednarik, former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame's Class of '67. Minkah Fitzpatrick, the 2017 Bednarik Award winner, was the second Alabama player to win the award, joining Jonathan Allen (2016).

Duke season tickets are available online at www.GoDuke.com/FootballTix or by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 919-681-2583.

Duke Players on 2018 NCFAA Watch Lists
Bednarik Award: Mark Gilbert & Joe Giles-Harris
Maxwell Award: Daniel Jones

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