Brock Bowers named finalist for Mackey Award recognizing nation's top tight end
Finalists for the John Mackey Award were announced on Tuesday, and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is among the three. Joined by Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer and Iowa’s Sam LaPorta, Bowers will take place in The Hope Depot College Football Awards show on Thursday, December 8th at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta where the winner will be announced.
The Mackey Award recognizes the nation’s top tight end, and there’s no doubt that Bowers has been one of the best. In 12 games this season the sophomore from Napa, Calif. has 46 catches for 645 yards and five touchdowns, all three of which are either tied for the team-high or best among the Bulldogs. He also has 93 rushing yards on six carries, converting three of those into touchdowns.
Outstanding individual performances this year for Bowers include a three-touchdown day at South Carolina with 121 receiving yards, putting up a pair of scores against Kent State as he totaled 137 yards from scrimmage and a career-best day versus Florida with five five catches for 154 yards including a spectacular 73-yard touchdown.
Last year he led the Bulldogs in all three receiving categories with 56 catches, 882 yards and 13 touchdowns. All three totals were best in program history for a tight end while the receiving touchdown total was tops regardless of position. For his efforts, Bowers was named First-Team All-SEC by both the AP and Coaches, an All-American by numerous outlets and earned Freshman of the Year honors on both the conference and national levels.
“What a weapon he is,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said in speaking about Bowers earlier this season. “What a tough character he is. He makes you defend the whole 53, right? When he comes into motion, the expectation is, ‘I’ve gotta stop the sideline.’ It loosens them up inside for some softer runs, too. When you run for 250, you’re doing something right … I don’t know that there is (a more versatile player in the country) because I don’t get to see it. I don’t think I’ve seen many games this year but it’s hard for me to do comparisons. But for what he does … I don’t think people understand what an incredible blocker he is. He doesn’t get to do that, that much.”
Bowers was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the top pass catcher in the country, and is a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award for the nation’s top line of scrimmage player. He is also a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year for which finalists will be announced on Wednesday, November 30th.
Awards Season Rundown
- Stetson Bennett – Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist
- Stetson Bennett – Burlsworth Trophy finalist
- Stetson Bennett – Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist
- Stetson Bennett – Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist
- Brock Bowers – Maxwell Award semifinalist
- Brock Bowers – John Mackey Award finalist
- Brock Bowers – Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist
- Jalen Carter – Lott IMPACT Trophy semifinalist
- Jalen Carter – Outland Trophy semifinalist
- Jamon Dumas-Johnson – Butkus Award finalist
- Kearis Jackson – Wuerffel Torphy semifinalist
- Jack Podlesny – Lou Groza Award semifinalist
- Christopher Smith – Paycom Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist
- Christopher Smith – Bednarik Award semifinalist
- Christopher Smith – Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist
- Darnell Washington – John Mackey Award semifinalist
- Georgia Offensive Line – Joe Moore Award semifinalist
- Todd Monken – Broyles Award finalist
