South Carolina defender named semifinalist for prestigious award
Just before dinnertime on Tuesday, South Carolina football junior Nick Emmanwori was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. The Thorpe Award, named for one of the best athletes of all time, goes to the country’s top defensive back.
So far this season, Emmanwori has been just that. The Gamecock junior has been an elite producer both against the run and against the pass in 2024. He is one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award but could be named a finalist later in November. South Carolina has never had a Thorpe Award winner, so Emmanwori could become the first.
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From the South Carolina Athletics press release:
University of South Carolina junior safety Nick Emmanwori has been named a semifinalist for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association announced today.
The list includes 15 of the nation’s best defensive backs, representing seven conferences and one independent university. The semifinalists are selected by a screening committee whose members compile a list of up to 15 players based on performance on the field, athletic ability, and character.
Emmanwori, a 6-3, 227-pounder from Irmo, S.C., leads the SEC and is tied for fifth in the country with four interceptions and is one of three players in the country with a pair of pick-sixes – at Kentucky and at Oklahoma. He is the Gamecocks’ leading tackler in 2024 with 49 stops including 33 solo tackles. His 7.0 tackles per game ranks 12th in the SEC. Emmanwori was also named one of 16 quarterfinalists for the prestigious Lott IMPACT Award.
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The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Committee will reconvene on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving to select three award finalists. The award finalists will be announced as part of a special presentation by ESPN on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
The award recipient is selected from the three finalists by the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, which boasts an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, former Paycom Jim Thorpe Award recipients, members of the NCFAA and sports writers and college football journalists throughout the country.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award 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 X at @NCFAA.
