Penn State’s Micah Parsons, Lamont Wade named to national award watch lists
Parsons made the watch list for the Butkus Award given to the nation's top linebacker. Wade earned a spot on the list for the Jim Thorpe Award presented to the best defensive back in the country.
Penn State junior Micah Parsons, who was a finalist for the Butkus Award last season, was named Monday to the 2020 watch list for the same honor given to the nation’s outstanding linebacker.
Another Nittany Lion, senior safety Lamont Wade, was named to the watch list for the 2020 Jim Thorpe Award presented to the top defensive back in the country.
Parsons, who also earned a berth on the watch list for the Bednarik Award honoring the nation’s best defensive player, was a consensus All-America last season. He led the Lions in tackles and won linebacker of the year honors in the Big Ten.
Wade, an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection last season, finished fourth on the Lions in tackles and was one of the leaders with five passes broken up. He tied a conference record by forcing three fumbles at Ohio State, and recovering one.