Gators DL Zachary Carter Added to Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List

Photo Credit: Zach Goodall

Redshirt senior defensive lineman Zachary Carter will have an opportunity to compete for another potential award this season, added to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list yesterday, an award presented annually to the most outstanding defensive player in college football.

Carter, 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, entered this season as one of the key veteran defensive linemen on the Florida Gators' roster this year and was set to make a major impact heading into his final season with the program.

Thus far this year, Carter has accounted for 5.5 sacks, good for fourth in the country, starting all five games this season for the program. He was named the SEC Co-Defensive Linemen of the week after a career-high performance in the season opener vs. Florida Atlantic, totaling five sacks and a forced fumble during the contest.

In total, Carter has accounted for 15 total tackles with eight of them for a loss, along with two other quarterback hurries. Along with Carter, the Gators will have cornerback Kaiir Elam on the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list this season.

Carter is also in the running for the Wuerffel Trophy Watch list, named to the list earlier this season. The trophy is given to a college football player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field.

Carter and Elam are the only two current Gators who will have their name on multiple watch lists this season. The redshirt senior defensive linemen will have another opportunity to prove himself worthy this week as the team takes on the Vanderbilt Commodores in a homecoming affair at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday.

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