Inside The Huskies

Bronko-Busters: UW's Tryon, Molden, Onwuzurike Named to Nagurski List

Trio of Huskies singled out as early candidates for trophy given to the nation's top defensive player.
Dan Raley|
Bronko-Busters: UW's Tryon, Molden, Onwuzurike Named to Nagurski List
Bronko-Busters: UW's Tryon, Molden, Onwuzurike Named to Nagurski List

They don't make football names anymore like Bronko Nagurski.

Instead, players such as the University of Washington's Joe Tryon, Levi Onwuzurike and Elijah Molden each will try to put his name on the man's trophy, given to the top defensive player in the country. 

The Husky trio is among 98 collegians named to the Bronco Nagurski Trophy watch list. 

All three of these UW players has been selected as a preseason first-team All-American over the past month, piling up various other honors as well.

Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski remains one of football's all-time greatest monikers. It  describes a former linebacker, tackle and fullback who came from Canada and played for the University of Minnesota and in the NFL. Later, he became a well-known pro wrestler.

Esteemed sportswriter Grantland Rice once asked in print, who would you pick to win a football game: 11 Jim Thorpes, 11 Glen Davises, 11 Red Granges or 11 Bronko Nagurskis?

His answer: "The 11 Nagurskis would be a mop-up. It would be something close to murder and massacre."

Tryon, a 6-foot-5, 262-pound junior outside linebacker from Renton, Washington, probably best resembles Nagurski, who died in 1990 at 81. Tyron plays and talks tough, as shown in the video taken at Oregon State.

However, Tryon recently cut off all his of long hair, which with reflective strips on his cheeks made him look like an absolute warrior.

Onwuzurike, who this week was named to the Outland Trophy watch list, is a highly disruptive senior from Allen, Texas, so maybe because of geographical roots in cowboy land he might be better suited to answer to Bronko instead of Levi.

Molden, a senior from West Linn, Oregon, might turn out to be the most decorated UW defender, giving him something to identify with Nagurski. He's all over the field from his cornerback position, making tackles, intercepting passes and keeping offenses honest at all times.

These Huskies are part of a 13-player contingent of nominees from the Pac-12. The award is given out in December. No UW player has won the Nagurski trophy, which was first given out in 1993, two years post Steve Emtman.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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