Per Jeff Nelson of the football program, senior linebacker Michael Mauti has been added mid-season to the Chuck Bednarik Watch list.

#PennState LB Michael Mauti has been added to list of candidates for the Bednarik Award, joining teammate Gerald Hodges

— Jeff Nelson (@GoPSUJeff) September 27, 2012

The Bednarik Award is given annually to the nation's best collegiate dfensive player. Last year's winner was LSU's Tyrann Mathieu; the last Penn State football player to receive the award was Dan Connor, who received it in 2007. Paul Posluszny also received the award in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

The award was first given in the 1995 football season to Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, the only other two-time winner. Penn State is the school that has had the most winners with three; LaVar Arrington also won the award in the 1999 season.

Mauti is the second Penn State player to be added to an award watch list since the beginning of the season.

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