Per GoBearcats:
Cincinnati senior cornerback Coby Bryant was named the winner of the 2021 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award on Thursday at the 31st Annual The Home Depot College Football Awards.
Bryant, a Cleveland, Ohio, native, took his game to a new level in his fifth and final season at UC, leading the Bearcats to an undefeated record, a second consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship and the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
Through 13 games in 2021, he has 41 tackles, three forced fumbles, three interceptions, 11 pass breakups (15th in the nation, fifth in the AAC) and 14 passes defended (ninth in the nation, third in AAC).
Bryant is a leader on a Bearcats defense that ranks No. 1 nationally in pass efficiency defense (100.47), fourth in opponent completion percentage (53.5%), third in interceptions (18), fifth in TD passes allowed (10) and No. 3 in passing yards allowed (168.3).
He has played in 62 games in his career with 49 starts. His career record is 48-14 at Cincinnati, and he’s now a two-time AAC Champion. His 45 career passes defended ranks No. 2 in Cincinnati history and his 10 career interceptions is the fifth most among active players.
Bryant was an All-AAC First Team selection 2020 and 2021, was named a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
Bryant joins former UC kicker Jonathan Ruffin (Lou Groza in 2000) as the second Bearcat to claim a major national award. He is one of only two winners in Jim Thorpe Award history to come from non-Power 5 schools, with Colorado State’s Greg Meyers as the other.
He will be honored at the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award banquet on Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Feb. 8, 2022.
Bryant also collected Walter Camp All-America honors on Saturday night. This is the 132nd edition of the Walter Camp All-America team, the nation’s oldest college football All-America team.
Bryant’s teammate and Cincinnati’s other starting cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner was named to the Walter Camp All-America Second Team. Gardner was named a First Team All-American by CBS Sports/247 Sports, ESPN and The Athletic earlier this week.
Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell was named The Home Depot Coach of the Year earlier this week. He formerly accepted the award on ESPN on Saturday night after leading the No. 4 Bearcats to a perfect 13-0 record and a second-straight AAC Championship. He has a 44-6 record at UC since the start of 2018.
