Boston College Football Linebacker Wins 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Award

The redshirt senior was one of three college football players to be a recipient of the award this year.

Dec 28, 2024; Bronx, NY, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers tight end Luke Lindenmeyer (44) is tackled by Boston College Eagles linebacker Bryce Steele (2) during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Boston College football linebacker Bryce Steele has won the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Award. 

The honor, which is given out by College Sports Communicators in association with The AP and Fiesta Bowl, was awarded to three college football players. 

Joining Steele in winning the award is Liberty safety Christian Bodner and South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown. 

Congratulations to Christian Bodnar (Liberty), Byrum Brown (USF) and Bryce Steele (Boston College) on being named college football’s 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Award winners! 🏈👏

The annual honor was determined by a panel of college football writers, editors and sports… pic.twitter.com/MTwFrJf9FY

— Fiesta Sports Foundation (@Fiesta_Bowl) December 17, 2025

“Since 2018, the Comeback Player of the Year Award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances,” wrote College Sports Communicators in the official press release. “At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of Associated Press college football writers and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners.  They will be honored during an on-field ceremony on January 8, 2026 at the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.”

Steele was diagnosed with thymoma in 2019 during high school, a rare form of cancer. 

After surgery and radiation, he played his first two collegiate seasons in 2021 and 2022 where he saw time in 19 games and tallied 61 total tackles (34 solo and 27 assisted), 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. 

In 2023, his cancer returned and the Raleigh, N.C., native missed all of the season and a majority of 2024.

During the 2024 season, Steele played in four total games which included three of the Eagles’ last four games and totaled eight total tackles, five of those coming in the Pinstripe Bowl where Boston College lost to Nebraska 20-15 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. 

The redshirt senior announced he was entering the transfer portal via social media in April, but changed his mind and returned to Chestnut Hill for his final collegiate season.

This past season, Steele appeared in 11 of Boston College’s 12 games and recorded 16 total tackles (nine solo and seven assisted), one fumble recovery, one quarterback hit, and one pass breakup as a redshirt senior.

Steele is the first Boston College player to ever win the award. He also won the 2025 Brian Piccolo Award earlier in the month which is given by the ACC to the most courageous player in the conference. 

He earned the honor alongside Georgia Tech offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge.