Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Places a Nation-Best Five Falcons on Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
August 03, 2023 | Football
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green State University places a nation-best five football student-athletes on the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, the All Sports Association announced on Thursday (Aug. 3). ILB Darren Anders, OLB Demetrius Hardamon, ILB Brock Horne, WR Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim and WR Austin Osborne all were named to the preseason list. Osborne was also on the watch list in 2022.
The Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," is presented each February in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
Anders (Sr., North Olmsted, Ohio) led the MAC in tackles in 2021 and was a first-team All-MAC honoree. Anders has started 31-straight games for Bowling Green and is coming off a 2022 season where he had 77 tackles. He needs 24 tackles to become just the third Falcon since 2000 to amass 300 career tackles.
Ibrahim (Sr., Miramar, Fla.) joined BGSU in January after an FCS All-American career at Alabama A&M. He appeared in 31 career games for Alabama A&M and amassed 163 receptions for 2,488 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns during career there. Twice he recorded 1,000-yard receiving seasons (2019, 2021) and was named a BOXTOROW All-American in 2021 after earning Hero Sports Freshman All-American honors in 2019. He also was Phil Steele's Freshman of the Year in 2019.
Osborne (Sr., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) earned Academic All-MAC honors in 2021 after leading BGSU with 64 receptions with 546 receiving yards and two scores. He appeared in all 12 of BGSU's games with nine starts after transferring from Washington during the summer. Osborne notched eight receptions in his BGSU debut at Tennessee and recorded multiple catches in all 12 of Bowling Green's games in 2021. He appeared in BGSU's last four games of 2022 after suffering an injury in preseason camp.
The five BGSU players are part of 11 MAC players to make the 110-person watch list. BGSU is the only school in the nation with more than three players on the list.
Bowling Green, who returns 52 letterwinners and 13 starters (offense & defense), opens the 2023 season at Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 2. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
Fans can secure single-game or season tickets by visiting BGSUFalcons.com/tickets, or by calling the BGSU Athletic Ticket Office at 1-(877) 247-8842.
The Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," is presented each February in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
Anders (Sr., North Olmsted, Ohio) led the MAC in tackles in 2021 and was a first-team All-MAC honoree. Anders has started 31-straight games for Bowling Green and is coming off a 2022 season where he had 77 tackles. He needs 24 tackles to become just the third Falcon since 2000 to amass 300 career tackles.
Hardamon (Sr., Beavercreek, Ohio) has appeared in 26 career games for the Falcons after transferring to BGSU in 2019 from Georgetown College, an NAIA school in Kentucky. He was second on the team with 6.0 sacks in 2022 and was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week after recording five tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and forcing a fumble BGSU recorded in the win over Miami (OH). He also returned a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown in a win at Central Michigan.
Ibrahim (Sr., Miramar, Fla.) joined BGSU in January after an FCS All-American career at Alabama A&M. He appeared in 31 career games for Alabama A&M and amassed 163 receptions for 2,488 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns during career there. Twice he recorded 1,000-yard receiving seasons (2019, 2021) and was named a BOXTOROW All-American in 2021 after earning Hero Sports Freshman All-American honors in 2019. He also was Phil Steele's Freshman of the Year in 2019.
Osborne (Sr., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) earned Academic All-MAC honors in 2021 after leading BGSU with 64 receptions with 546 receiving yards and two scores. He appeared in all 12 of BGSU's games with nine starts after transferring from Washington during the summer. Osborne notched eight receptions in his BGSU debut at Tennessee and recorded multiple catches in all 12 of Bowling Green's games in 2021. He appeared in BGSU's last four games of 2022 after suffering an injury in preseason camp.
The five BGSU players are part of 11 MAC players to make the 110-person watch list. BGSU is the only school in the nation with more than three players on the list.
Bowling Green, who returns 52 letterwinners and 13 starters (offense & defense), opens the 2023 season at Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 2. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
Fans can secure single-game or season tickets by visiting BGSUFalcons.com/tickets, or by calling the BGSU Athletic Ticket Office at 1-(877) 247-8842.
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