December 27, 2023 – PHILADELPHIA, PA
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

CALEB DOWNS WINS SHAUN ALEXANDER OUTSTANDING FRESHMAN AWARD

The Maxwell Football Club announced that University of Alabama defensive back Caleb Downs has been selected as the 6 th annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award presented to the outstanding freshman player in college football. The award will be presented at the Maxwell Football Club Awards along with many of the other top awards in college and professional football.

Downs, a Hoschton, Georgia‎ native. is the second Crimson Tide player to garner the honor, and is the third player from the SEC to earn the accolade, joining Brock Bowers (Georgia) and Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) as winners. Drake Maye (UNC), Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis) and Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) have also won the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award since its inception in 2018. Downs posted huge numbers and earned SEC Newcomer of the Year honors after posting 99 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble and three pass breakups. He also made his mark on special teams, something he showcased with an electric 85-yard punt return touchdown against Chattanooga. His outstanding play earned him recognition on the Pro Football Focus, Sporting News and the Associated Press All American teams.

“Caleb Downs’ talent is undeniable and when you watch him, he just jumps off the field. When I had the opportunity to learn about Caleb as a teammate and a person it was obvious that he was the type of player I would want to carry on the tradition of the Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year Award.

Downs is no stranger to the Maxwell Club awards, having been named as the Club’s National High School Player of the Year in 2022. He will be joined in Atlanta this March by Michael Penix Jr, (Washington) the Maxwell Award winner and Payton Wilson (NC State) the winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award. Additional college and professional award winners will be named in the upcoming weeks.

The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been presented to the College Freshman Player of the Year since 2018 and is named in honor of Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. The formal presentation of the Shaun Alexander award will be made at the 87th Maxwell Awards Friday March 8, 2024 from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Tickets for the awards show are on sale at https://maxwellfootballclub.org/purchase-tickets-backup/

ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB – The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, Montage Mountain Resort, the Edward T. Coombs Foundation and the Bradley Law Firm. To learn more about our story visit http://www.maxwellfootballclub.org.