DALLAS (July 23, 2019) - The Football Writers Association of America released its Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List on Tuesday, with FIU football's Sage Lewis making the cut. 

The list includes 92 defensive standouts from 65 schools in all 10 Division I FBS conferences plus independents. Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week's honored player will be added at that time. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the 2019 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 20.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from those five finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association's full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.

Lewis was named the Conference USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year last week, ahead of the C-USA Media Kickoff in Frisco, Texas. On Monday, the senior was named to the Butkus 

After making the move to middle linebacker in 2018, Lewis broke the school record in total tackles (132) and solos (83) while ranking first in the league for both of those categories. Lewis' 83 solos ranked 10th in the nation last season, with that same number ranking third in the country among 2019 returnees. Lewis was awarded C-USA First Team honors following his stellar junior campaign in 2018. 

As a reminder, season tickets for the 2019 FIU football season are now on sale. For more information, or to order your tickets by phone, please call (305) FIU-GAME.

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Entering its 18th year of football in 2019, the FIU Panthers are coming off a program-best nine wins a season ago. FIU capped 2018 with a 35-32 victory over Toledo in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl to finish the season 9-4 overall. Under legendary head coach Butch Davis, the Panthers have earned back-to-back bowl appearances and 17 wins in the last two years.
 
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