The accolades just keep on rolling in for Michigan State cornerback Johnny Adams, as the senior defensive back was named to his third watch list of the week, joining teammate Isaiah Lewis on the 2012 Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List released on Friday.
On Monday the 5-foot-11 Adams was rightfully named to the watch list for the Bednarik Award, college football's version of defensive player of the year, and less than 24 hours later was tabbed as a preseason contender for the Nagurski Trophy, given to the nation's most outstanding defensive player. Viewed as a likely first or second round NFL draft pick by scouts right now, it's clear that everyone in America believes that the lockdown corner could be in store for a monster senior campaign.
A junior safety who started to flourish at the back end of Mark Dantonio's defense towards the end of last season, Lewis became the ninth different MSU player named to a watch list during the week. Excluding Adams, the third-year Indiana native is just one of just three Big Ten defensive backs on the Thorpe Award's preliminary list, offering further proof of how good Michigan State's secondary might just be this season.
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