UGA Football: Rice Named Bednarik Award Player Of The Week

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia senior linebacker Monty Rice has been named the Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week, according to an announcement from the Maxwell Football Club.

The Bednarik Award has been given to the nation’s top collegiate defensive player each year since 1995.  David Pollack earned the honor for the Bulldogs in 2004.  Current Chicago Bear Roquan Smith was Georgia’s last finalist for the accolade in 2017.

Rice, a native of Huntsville, Ala., led the Bulldogs in tackles for the second straight game and scored his first career touchdown during Georgia’s 44-21 rout of No. 14 Tennessee.  He tallied eight stops, including a pair of tackles for loss.  One of Rice’s TFL was a strip-sack that he recovered and returned 20 yards for the Bulldogs’ final touchdown.  Rice directed a defense that held the Vols to minus-1 yards rushing and without a point in the second half.

The No. 3 Bulldogs (3-0 SEC) travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face No. 2 Alabama (3-0 SEC) on Saturday.  CBS will televise the matchup at 8 p.m. ET.