Quarterback Avery Johnson And Running Back DJ Giddens Make Maxwell Award Watch List
Finally, a couple of Kansas State football players made a preseason list that recognizes excellence on the field.
Junior running back DJ Giddens and sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson made the Maxwell Award watch list.
The Maxwell Award is given to the college football player of the year.
Getting selected for the watch list is quite an honor for Giddens and Johnson.
Previous K-State preseason candidates: Darren Sproles (2004), John Hubert (2013), Tyler Lockett (2014), Jesse Ertz (2017), Alex Barnes (2018), James Gilbert (2019), Skylar Thompson (2020 and 2021), Deuce Vaughn (2021 and 2022), Adrian Martinez (2022) and Will Howard (2023).
In 2014, Jake Waters was a semifinalist. Michael Bishop in 1998 and Colin Klein in 2012 were finalists for the Maxwell Award.
Giddens is looking to build on his sophomore season when he rushed for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Johnson, in a back-up role as a true freshman, showed plenty of potential of a bright future, especially after his only start in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in which he was selected MVP in the game.
“You have to carry yourself with some sort of humble confidence and know I'm no better than anybody else, but in my head believe I'm the best player on the field,” Johnson said in a story that appeared on the K-State athletic website. “It's about working and ultimately having the utmost confidence in yourself and the players around you to know you're going to execute whenever the play is called.”
Just by the nature of the positions, Giddens will fly under the radar while Johnson will be at the forefront. Coach Chris Klieman said Johnson understands his role.
“I told him when we recruited him that he was going to be the face of the program, and it came up late in his first year where he ended up truly being the face," Klieman says. “I'm excited because he's taken that mantle really well, and for a young player he's been a great, great leader.”
David Boyce is a contributing writer to K-State On SI. He can be reached at davidboyce95@gmail.com.
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DAVID BOYCE