DALLAS (FWAA) – Oklahoma defensive lineman R Mason Thomas was a game-changer in the fourth quarter of the Sooners’ win Saturday, charging into the Tulane backfield for three sacks late in the game that sealed a 34-19 win that kept it undefeated. The stellar streak in his third career start earned Thomas the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Sept. 14, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
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 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 20. The national defensive player of the year will be chosen from those finalists who are part of the 2024 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on Dec. 9 at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Players may be added or removed from the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list during the season. If a player isn’t already on the preseason watch list, including Thomas this week, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.
Thomas, a 6-2, 243-pound junior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had been selected earlier last week as one of OU’s five game captains and he turned in the finest game of his career following the recognition. Each of his sacks came in the fourth quarter with the Sooners protecting a narrow lead. He also forced a fumble that he recovered and added a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.
In one series, Thomas recorded a sack on first down, a pass breakup on third down and another sack on fourth down. The forced fumble and recovery were the first of his career. He entered the game with 2.5 career sacks and 4.5 TFLs.
Thomas' performance was key to Oklahoma holding a Tulane offense that racked up 491 yards the previous week against Kansas State to just 279 total yards. In the second half as it held firm following a 21-6 lead at the half, the Sooners defense held Tulane to just 116 yards in part with its seven tackles for loss and Thomas’ three sacks. After Tulane got to within five points at 24-19 early in the fourth quarter, the Sooners forced a three-and-out, got an interception, logged a turnover on downs and recovered a fumble (by Thomas) to close the game.
On their final four possessions, the Green Wave managed just 33 yards on 16 plays (a 2.1 average).
Thomas now has a team-high 4.0 tackles for loss for the Sooners and his 3.0 sacks not only lead the team but tie for 12th nationally this week.
Oklahoma has had two Bronko Nagurski Trophy winners in its past – cornerback Derrick Strait in 2003 and safety Roy Williams in 2001. They also had finalists for the award in each of those seasons – defensive tackle Tommie Harris in 2003 and linebacker Rocky Calmus in 2001.
The Sooners host one of the weekend’s feature contests Saturday in their initial Southeastern Conference game taking on No. 6/7 Tennessee (3-0). ESPN College GameDay will be onsite prior to kickoff on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from the finalists named in November. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
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.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on Twitter at @NCFAA.
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, more than $3,000,000 has been raised and donated to benefit the Touchdown Club's scholarship efforts.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.