Watch List Watch: Stille, Barry and Martinez

MOAR watch lists!

This time sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez has some company among Huskers named to these all-inclusive award watch lists.

Stille Nominated for Good Works Team

Defensive linemen and Nebraska native Ben Stille was announced Tuesday as one of the candidates for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^®, an annual award given to college football players for the impact they make off the field.

In all, a total of 137 student-athletes across all levels of college football with inspiring stories of community service were nominated by their respective sports information directors.

Stillie has been active in the Huskers’ Life Skills program, volunteered his time with the FCA, Husker Heroes, TeamMates, the Nebraska Football Road Race, and local hospital visits. For his efforts, he received the Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award earlier this spring, and was named to the Tom Osborne and Brook Berringer Citizenship teams for the past three years. Earlier this year, he was also involved in the Huskers football team’s efforts for raise money for flood relief victims following the spring floods across Nebraska.

Stille will look to be the 16th Husker football player to be recognized on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® since the program began more than 25 years ago. Freedom Akinmoladun was NU’s most recent honoree when he was selected in 2018.

Barry Named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

Senior linebacker Mohamed Barry was chosen for the initial Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list. The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented by the Pacific Club Impact Foundation and is awarded to the best college football defender in both character and performance. The 2019 Watch List includes 42 candidates, and Barry was one of just 18 linebackers on the initial list.

Barry, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker and reigning Husker defensive MVP, returns to anchor the Huskers’ defense after an outstanding junior campaign. The Grayson, Ga., native led the Huskers and ranked second in the Big Ten with 112 tackles, including 55 solo tackles, and added 11 tackles for loss and two sacks from his inside linebacker position. His 112 tackles were the most by a Husker since NFL All-Pro Lavonte David totaled 133 stops in 2011.

Barry, an All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media, led NU in tackles in nine of 12 games, including seven double-figure efforts. He posted a career-high 12 tackles against Colorado and had 11 stops six other times as a junior.

Barry is currently working on his master’s degree after graduating with a degree in ethnic studies in May. He has been active in the Huskers’ community outreach efforts, including Husker Heroes, the Nebraska Football Road Race, Red Cross, the UNL Children’s Center and hospital and school outreach visits.

Barry is looking to become NU’s first Lott IMPACT Trophy winner and is one of 10 Big Ten players on the initial watch list.

Martinez Named to Davey O’Brien Award Watch List

Another day, another watch list for a young Husker signal caller. Nebraska sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez earned his second watch list recognition of the week, as he was named to the 2019 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List.

Martinez, who is one of only six sophomores on the 30-member list, is one of three Big Ten quarterbacks, joining Michigan’s Shea Patterson and Iowa’s Nate Stanley. The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback.

Martinez returns to pilot the Husker attack after a record-breaking freshman year in 2018. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder set 11 school records after becoming the first true freshman quarterback to start an opener in school history. On the season, Martinez completed 224-of-347 passes for 2,617 yards and 17 touchdowns, while also rushing for 629 yards and eight scores en route to All-Big Ten and Freshman All-America honors.

Martinez ranked 12th and led all freshmen nationally in total offense per game (295.1 ypg) while also setting school marks for 300-yard total offense (seven) and 400-yard total offense (three) games in 2018. Martinez set freshman records for completions, completion percentage, passing yards, passing touchdowns, total offense and total touchdowns (25), and he was fourth nationally among all freshmen in passing yards per game at 237.9 yards per game.

Martinez threw for a season-high 384 yards and two touchdowns against Wisconsin, while his best game of the year came against Minnesota, when he completed a school-record 86.2 percent of his passes (25-of-29) for 276 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for a season-high 125 yards and a score on 15 carries.

Martinez will look to join 2001 O’Brien Award winner Eric Crouch on the list of all-time winners.

Over the next two weeks, there will be many more watch lists released. Don’t worry, we’ll keep watching the watch lists to be sure you know which Huskers are getting some preseason attention.