HBCU Football: Southern’s Jordan Lewis wins Buck Buchanan Award

The Buck Buchanan Award is the FCS version of the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik awards. Established in 1995, the Buchanan Award honors the late Junious “Buck” Buchanan, star defensive end for the Grambling State Tigers in the 1960s.

Buchanan was not only an All-American at Grambling State, but he was also the first black player taken with the first overall pick in professional football. Buchanan was taken first overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963.

The award gives FCS defenders their award, with the offensive player of the year receiving the Walter Payton award.

Though the award honors a player from an HBCU, only three players from HBCUs have won the award. Chris McNeil (North Carolina A&T) was the first to win the award in 1997, Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman) won in 2002 and Deon King (Norfolk State) won in 2015.

No player from the SWAC had won the award until this season. Southern University defensive end Jordan Lewis is the first SWAC player and just the fourth HBCU player to win. There was no more dominant player this spring than Lewis.

Lewis dominated the spring season

Lewis‘ stat line from this spring reads like an entire season for most players. The junior from Ocala, Florida, led the Jaguars in tackles (27) and sacks (10.5) in five games this spring.  Lewis played at a high level from the opening game to the season finale.

Lewis opened the season with an 11-tackle, four-sack game against Alabama State. But, despite his size, Lewis was in the backfield making plays every game this season. After the game against the Hornets, head coach Dr. Donald Hill-Eley had high praise for Lewis:

“We tried different things of chippin’ him, slowing him down. And some of the stuff was successful, but the kid’s a great athlete,” Hill-Ely said. “When we start chippin’ him, he started spinning inside and still making plays, getting pressure. He was disruptive, no question about it.”

New Norfolk State head coach Dawson Odoms, who coached Lewis at Southern, raved about how freakishly athletic Lewis and how high his football IQ is.

“He understands what guys are trying to do him and understands that a lot better.”

“If you blink, you’re gonna miss,” he said. “He’s fast. And I don’t think people realize how fast he is until he gets in the game. And that first step is by you. He can do it.”

If Lewis matches this production in the fall, there’s little doubt he’ll win the award again this fall.