By: Washington State Athletic Communications
CHICAGO – Washington State defensive lineman was named to the Ted Hendricks Award Watch Lists, the Ted Hendricks Foundation announced recently.
Mata'afa is one of 34 players name to the watch list for the award for college football's top defensive end.
Mata'afa, a native of Lahaina, Hawaii, earned All-Pac-12 second team honors last season after finishing fifth in the league with 13.5 tackles including a team-high five sacks. The redshirt-junior enters the 2017 season with 24.5 career tackles-for-loss, second-most among active Pac-12 players. Earlier this summer, Mata'afa was named to the Bronco Nagurski Trophy watch list, given to the nation's Defensive Player of the Year, the Bednarik Award watch list (given to the country's top defensive player) and the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List.