DALLAS (FWAA) – Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter Saturday, taking the second one back 33 yards for a touchdown to seal Mississippi State’s 42-24 win over No. 17 Texas A&M. For setting the school record with his fourth career pick-six, Forbes earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 1, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
Forbes, a 6-0, 180-pound junior from Grenada, Miss., is the FBS' active leader in career interceptions returned for touchdowns. His 10th and 11th career picks – the 11 picks are the most in the FBS since 2020 – came on consecutive Texas A&M possessions in the middle of the final quarter right after the teams had traded touchdowns on four previous possessions. The pick-six was the Bulldogs’ final touchdown that provided a 42-17 lead.
This is the fourth time for a Mississippi State player to earn the weekly Bronko Nagurski award and the first since Montez Sweat earned it the week of Oct. 6, 2018. Chris White (2010) and Quinton Culberson (2006) are other past weekly winners.
It’s the second time in his career in which Forbes, a Freshman All-SEC selection in 2020, has intercepted multiple passes in a game and his pick-six broke the school’s career mark previously shared with Johnthan Banks, Corey Broomfield and Derek Pegues. As a team, MSU has intercepted 52 passes in its last 54 games.
Forbes also blocked a Texas A&M field goal – the first block of his career – that created a 50-yard scoop-and-score touchdown and a 21-3 lead in the third quarter. He also broke up one pass and added one tackle in the game.
Mississippi State, off to its best start since going 5-0 in 2014, hosts Arkansas at 11 a.m. CT Saturday on the SEC Network. The Bulldogs moved into the both national polls this week at No. 23.
Each week during the regular season, the FWAA has selected a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week since 2001. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2022 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 16. The national defensive player of the year will be chosen from those finalists who are part of the 2022 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on Dec. 5 at the Charlotte Convention Center. N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren will be the keynote speaker.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football then became a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw "Bronko" Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.
About the Charlotte Touchdown Club
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, North Carolina region. Since its inception, the club has grown as well as diversified, boasting a sponsor team of more than (80) companies. The Club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding Citizenship, Scholarship, Sportsmanship, and Leadership of area athletes and coaches. Through individual and corporate support, nearly $3,000,000 has been raised and donated to benefit the Touchdown Club's scholarship efforts. For more information call 704-347-2918 or touchdownclub.com.