Rey Maualuga Holds the Chuck Bednarik Trophy, AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Three days after Rey Maualuga was named the top defensive player in the Pac-10 by league coaches, he received an even greater honor, winning the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player at the college football awards . Maualuga has been a heat-seeking missile for the ball carrier, leading the team with 73 tackles. He also has three deflections, two interceptions, including a pick-six against Ohio State. Maualuga heads a defensive squad that is ranked first nationally in total defense, scoring defense, pass defense and pass efficiency defense and fifth in rushing defense and allowed just 11 touchdowns in 2008.

Maualuga was joined by the fastest Trojan- (no, not Joe McKnight) -Taylor Mays as a Walter Camp First Team All American. Now with even more media attention on Mays, it’s looking likely the big guy is on his way out. As quoted by Scott Wolf:

“If I’m up there (in the top 15), I think even (Pete Carroll) will tell me to leave…Yeah, I think about that,” Mays said. “It might get to me but I need to stay focused. If I let it get to my head, it could mess me up and be a negative.”

And if you see Mays at Rose Bowl practice, be sure to wish the Kosher Crusher a happy Channukah from us at TrojanWire. Now I’m not sure how many Black, Jewish football players there are out there, but I’ll take a wild guess…One?.