Vanderbilt's Marve, Hayward named to Bednarik Award preseason watch list

Two Commodore defensive standouts are among 65 players across the nation named to the Bednarik Award preseason watch list, the Maxwell Football Club announced today.
Chris Marve, a two-time All-Southeastern Conference linebacker from Memphis, Tenn., and Casey Hayward, a 2010 all-conference cornerback from Perry, Ga., were named to the Bednarik Award watch list. The award is presented annually to the nation's best defensive player.
Vanderbilt was one of four SEC teams to have multiple players named to the watch list. Alabama paced the conference with five players, with LSU following with three players. Two Arkansas players were included in the preseason list.

Nineteen players from the SEC were named to the watch list, more than any other conference.

Marve, a three-year starting senior, has previously been named as a preseason candidate for the Lott Impact Trophy and will likely get consideration for the Butkus, Nagurski and Lombardi awards. The SEC's active career leader with 306 tackles, Marve also ranks among the league's leaders with seven career forced fumbles. In 2010, he contributed 80 tackles, including a career-high eight stops for loss.