UNM Safety Austin Brawley rewarded with national recognition
· Yahoo Sports
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – One day after being named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week, UNM safety Austin Brawley was named Bronko Nagurski Award National Defensive Player of the Week. Brawley also found out that he is a semifinalist for the 2026 Jim Thorpe Award which is regarded as the highest honor for a defensive back.
Brawley is the first Lobo to earn the Nagurski weekly honor since it's inception in 2001. He's also the first Lobo to be a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist since Brandon Payne in 2004. Brawley is one of 15 players on the semifinalist list for 2026. Former Lobo and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher was one of three finalists for the award in 1999. A winner will be announced Nov. 24.
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Brawley has an NCAA-leading 132 interception return yards with three picks. Fifty-six of those yards and one of his picks came this past Saturday when Brawley snagged a fourth-quarter interception to help the Lobos secure a 21-16 win against North Dakota State. It was Brawley's second interception return for a touchdown this season, which ties the NCAA lead. Brawley also has 26 tackles on the season, two tackles for loss. He's part of a UNM defense that leads in multiple NCAA statistical categories.
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