DEKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University defensive end Sutton Smith was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List for 2018 the Maxwell Football Club announced today.
 
Smith, who was a semifinalist for the award last year, led the Football Bowl Subdvision (FBS) in tackles for loss with 29.5 and broke the school record for sacks in a single season with 14, which tied for the FBS lead a year ago. The 2017 Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Smith also forced and recovered three fumbles in 2017, returning two for scores.
 
A native of St. Charles, Mo., Smith became just the second player in school history, and the first since LeShon Johnson in 1993, to be named a consensus All-American. He collected first-team All-America honors from Walter Camp and the FWAA, and second team accolades from the AP, AFCA and Sporting News.
 
The Huskie junior is one of four players from the Mid-American Conference on the Bednarik Watch List, the first of a series of watch lists to be announced this week.
 
The Huskies kick off the 2018 campaign at Iowa Saturday, Sept. 1 and will welcome Utah the following weekend to Huskie Stadium. Season ticket packages start as low as $55 in 2018 with the Huskie Stadium Family Pack (four tickets for $220), while a general admission ticket on the East Side is only $60. Mini-plans were introduced last week. Fans can pick two Saturday games and one midweek MACtion game for $70. Season tickets for all five 2018 NIU home football games are on sale NOW online at NIUHuskies.com or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225).
 
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