Football Writers Association of America News

Indiana’s Aiden Fisher is this week’s nominee for the 2024 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Fisher, a junior linebacker, has overcome the loss of both his father and his stepfather to lead the Big Ten in tackles.

Offensive tackle Gunnar Hansen helped Vanderbilt hold the ball and maintain drives against No. 1 Alabama last Saturday, leading to the season’s most surprising upsets as the Commodores kept scoring and never trailed in a 40-35 takedown of the Crimson Tide. For his top blocking grades and leadership up front in the Commodores’ first win over a top-ranked team in program history, Hansen earned the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games played the weekend of Oct. 5, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Syracuse defensive end Fadil Diggs came up with a third-down sack in overtime that forced No. 25 UNLV to settle for a field goal, creating the opportunity for the Orange to grab a ranked win on the road, 44-41. For tying his career-high with two sacks and his play on the defensive front, Diggs earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 5, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Florida Citrus Sports and Pop-Tarts have teamed up to present the Pop-Tarts ‘Crazy Good’ Play of the Week during the 2024-25 college football season, with each week's play selected in conjunction with the Football Writers Association of America. Texas A&M is the winner of the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Play of the Week for Week 6.

DALLAS (FWAA) – The Vanderbilt Commodores earned the Cheez-It National Team of the Week earlier this season celebrating their first win in two years over a team receiving votes in the national polls. Saturday the Commodores climbed the scales and took down No. 1 Alabama in a thrilling 40-35 home win. For the program’s first win over a top-ranked team, Vanderbilt has again earned the Cheez-It National Team of the Week award for games played the weekend of Oct. 5, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

This is the the Week 6 installment of the Football Writers Association of America's weekly Freshman Focus for the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award, Freshman Player of the Year and the 2024 FWAA Freshman All-America Team.

Dave Jones wins FWAA Lifetime Achievement Award 

Michigan State’s Armorion Smith is this week’s nominee for the 2024 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Smith, a redshirt junior defensive back, is helping to raise five siblings after the recent passing of his mother.

Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter was an unwanted nemesis in the Illinois backfield last Saturday, logging a career-high four tackles for loss as well as two sacks as the Nittany Lions won their Big Ten Conference opener, 21-7. For his efforts in shutting down the upstart Illini, Carter earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor for games played the weekend of Sept. 28, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Notre Dame defensive tackle Howard Cross III helped contain Louisville’s high-powered offense and was the nation’s top-graded interior defensive lineman against the pass as the Fighting Irish improved to 4-1 with a 31-24 win over the Cardinals. For his shut-down play and grade, Cross earned the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Sept. 28, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

The Alabama Crimson Tide was electric at the start and the finish in toppling No. 2 Georgia, 41-34, in a prime-time SEC classic in Tuscaloosa last Saturday. For ending Georgia’s 42-game regular-season and 28-game regular-season conference win streaks, Alabama (4-0) has earned the Cheez-It National Team of the Week for games played the weekend of Sept. 28, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

This is the the Week 5 installment of the Football Writers Association of America's weekly Freshman Focus for the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award, Freshman Player of the Year and the 2024 FWAA Freshman All-America Team.

Florida Citrus Sports and Pop-Tarts have teamed up to present the Pop-Tarts ‘Crazy Good’ Play of the Week during the 2024-25 college football season, with each week's play selected in conjunction with the Football Writers Association of America. Minnesota is the winner of the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Play of the Week for Week 5.

Veteran Chris Low of ESPN.com and Texas A&M beat reporter Travis L. Brown have been named co-winners of the FWAA's Steve Ellis Beat Writer of the Year Award for the 2023 season, the association announced on Thursday.

Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry is this week’s nominee for the 2024 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Henry coached the Fighting Illini to an upset win at Nebraska on Friday shortly after the passing of his sister.

Six members of the Football Writers Association of America have won two awards each in the association's 32nd Annual Best Writing Contest presented by collegepressbox. Included in the group were three first-place winners who also picked up honorable mentions in other categories.

2023 Best Writing Contest Winner (Enterprise): The door swung open before he could knock, just as it had the first time Isimemen "Isi" Etute visited Apartment 207. That time, Etute had come for sex. Now, he wanted answers. It was May 31, 2021, just after 10 p.m., and the apartment above Hokie Mart on North Main Street in Blacksburg, Virginia, was dark, save for a hint of light sneaking through a kitchen window.

2023 Best Writing Contest Winner (Column): It is a weird time in college athletics, perhaps the weirdest ever. Let’s count the ways, shall we?

2023 Beat Writing Contest Winner (Game Story): Start with the bittersweet, because the backdrop of this top-five clash of titans was always going to have a hint of melancholy.

2023 Beat Writing Contest Winner (Feature): Dwight Flanagan can still see the faces. He has gone back through old game programs and racked his brain to put the faces with the names. He simply can't do it.