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<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. 21, 2021<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor FB’s Bernard Earns Comeback Player of the Year Honorable Mention<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">$2,500 donation to BU’s general scholarship fund will be made in Bernard’s name<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>
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<b>NEW YORK, N.Y. – </b>Baylor football senior linebacker Terrel Bernard has received honorable mention recognition for the for the 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award, as announced Tuesday by the College Sports Information Directors of America
(CoSIDA), in association with the Associated Press (AP) and Fiesta Bowl Organization.<br>
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Three winners and six honorable mentions were selected from a list of nine semifinalists for the 2021 award. A $2,500 donation to Baylor’s general scholarship fund will be made in Bernard’s name.<br>
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Bernard was 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.
Each of the semifinalists had overcome injury, illness or other adversity to excel on the field this season.<br>
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Hutchinson, Milton and Weaver were named this year’s winners, while the remaining six garnered honorable mention recognition.<b><br>
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</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>
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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.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
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For the latest news on the Baylor football team, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.<br>
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<b><u>2021 MAYO CLINIC COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD</u></b><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">Winners<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">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>
J.J. Weaver, LB – Kentucky<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Honorable Mention</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><br>
Taijh Alston, DL – West Virginia<b><br>
Terrel Bernard, LB – Baylor</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">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">Cameron Rising, QB – Utah<br>
Avery Samuels, OL – Stetson<br>
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<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>
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<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>
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