Jaylen Waddle Named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University of Alabama sophomore Jaylen Waddle was named the Southeastern Conference's Special Teams Player of the Year on Wednesday.
Waddle leads the nation in punt return average at 24.9 yards per return, which was 10-plus yards better than anyone else in the league. Overall, he had 19 returns for 474 yards and a touchdown, including a long of 77.
He also returned four kickoffs for 152 yards and one score and has added more than 53 yards and six touchdowns on 32 catches at wideout this season.
Waddle earned All-SEC honors on Tuesday and is the first Alabama player to be named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year since Christion Jones in 2013.
Also announced by the league:
LSU’s Joe Burrow was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year, while Auburn’s Derrick Brown was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Auburn’s Bo Nix was voted SEC Freshman of the Year, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas was named winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and LSU coach Ed Orgeron was named SEC Coach of the Year.
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
The SEC All-Freshman Team will be announced Thursday.
2019 SEC Football Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
Joe Burrow, LSU
Defensive Player of the Year
Derrick Brown, Auburn
Special Teams Player of the Year
Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
Freshman of the Year
Bo Nix, Auburn
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia
Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Andrew Thomas, Georgia
Coach of the Year
Ed Orgeron, LSU