Redshirt junior defensive back Shyheim Brown was named to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award watch list on Wednesday. The award is given annually to the nation’s best defensive player by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the Jim Thorpe Association.
Brown, from Lake City, started 16 games with 92 tackles in three seasons at Florida State. He started all 14 games for the Seminoles in 2023, recording 53 tackles, 2.0 sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and four pass breakups to earn third-team All-ACC recognition. Brown had a career-high eight tackles in wins at Florida and Clemson, he caught his first career interception in a home win against No. 16 Duke and recovered a fumble in FSU’s 24-7 victory at Pitt.
As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Brown’s blocked extra point against LSU with no time left secured FSU’s 24–23 victory over the Tigers. In the 2023 season opener against No. 5 LSU in Orlando, Brown had four tackles with 0.5 sacks. Brown’s sack came on the 4thth-and-1 in the second quarter with LSU inside FSU’s red zone.
Florida State has won the award twice, in 1988 (Deion Sanders) and 1991 (Terrell Buckley).
The Thorpe Prize semi-finalists will be announced on October 29th, while the three finalists will be revealed on November 26th. The Thorpe Award winner will be named during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show, held on December 12.
Florida State will open the season Aug. 24 in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic against Georgia Tech.
Preseason Watch ListsThorpe Award – best defender – DB Shyheim Brown Nagurski Trophy – best defensive player – DL Joshua FarmerOutland Trophy – best interior lineman – DL Joshua Farmer and OL Darius Washington Maxwell Award – best player – QB DJ Uiagalelei
This article originally appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat: FSU DB Shyheim Brown is on Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
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