<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:-webkit-standard;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:right">
<a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS –
</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Dec. 9, 2021<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor FB’s Bernard Named Comeback Player of the Year Semifinalist<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Senior linebacker is one of nine semifinalists for Mayo Clinic award<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> Max Calderone, 254-265-1639,
</span><a href="mailto:Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><br>
<b>NEW YORK, N.Y. – </b>Baylor football senior linebacker Terrel Bernard has been named one of nine semifinalists for the 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award, as announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA),
in association with the Associated Press (AP) and Fiesta Bowl Organization.<br>
<br>
Each of the nine semifinalists have overcome injury, illness or other adversity to excel on the field this season. Bernard is joined by Taijh Alston (West Virginia), Jack Coan (Notre Dame), Ryan Hubley (Johns Hopkins), Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan), McKenzie
Milton (Florida State), Cameron Rising (Utah), Avery Samuels (Stetson) and J.J. Weaver (Kentucky) as this year’s candidates.<b><br>
<br>
</b>Bernard was off to a strong 2020 campaign, leading the Bears in total tackles, tackles for loss and sacks before suffering a torn labrum, dislocated shoulder and fractured glenoid at Iowa State on Nov. 7. The injury caused him to miss the rest of the season
and refrain from all football activities for more than six months. The 6-1, 222-pound native of La Porte, Texas couldn’t move much at all and spent the first month post-injury in a sling.<br>
<br>
But all the hard work paid off as he returned for his senior season in 2021 and led the Bears once again in total tackles (86), while placing second on the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Bernard was named a Reese’s Senior Bowl All-American and
the Best Linebacker in Texas by <i>Dave Campbell’s Texas Football</i>, in addition to earning a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team and DCTF All-Texas First Team. He garnered his program-record fourth-career Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following
his nine-tackle, two-sack performance versus Oklahoma and collected at least eight tackles in six of BU’s games this season.<br>
<br>
This year’s semifinalists were selected by a panel of writers, editors and sports information directors from CoSIDA, AP and
<i>Touchdown Illustrated</i>, from a field of 30 nominees recognized throughout the season. In addition to Bernard, Baylor senior defensive lineman Cole Maxwell was also recognized as a 2021 nominee.<br>
<br>
On Dec. 21, three winners and six honorable mentions will be announced and $30,000 will be donated in the names of the honorees to their schools’ general scholarship funds, with $15,000 being awarded in the names of the three winners and $15,000 on behalf of
the six named honorable mention. Additionally, the three Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award winners will be recognized at a special ceremony during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2022, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><br>
For the latest news on the Baylor football team, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.<br>
<br>
<b><u>2021 MAYO CLINIC COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALISTS</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Taijh Alston, DL – West Virginia<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Terrel Bernard, LB – Baylor<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Jack Coan, QB – Notre Dame<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Ryan Hubley, WR – Johns Hopkins<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Aidan Hutchinson, DE – Michigan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">McKenzie Milton, QB – Florida State<br>
Cameron Rising, QB – Utah<br>
Avery Samuels, OL – Stetson<br>
J.J. Weaver, LB – Kentucky <br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:center;background:white">
<i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"-webkit-standard",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#154734">Max Calderone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (BSB, FB, EQ)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D7EC52.F1E55150" alt="signature_686076998"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>