WKU FB’s Key, Jones Named to 2020 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

July 24, 2020

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A pair of WKU Football defenders earned spots on the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, it was announced Thursday. Senior safety Devon Key and junior defensive end Juwuan Jones were recognized by college football’s premier award for community service, among 112 other FBS players.

The Hilltoppers are 1-of-11 programs with multiple players on the watch list; there were 12 overall Conference USA representatives among the 114 total names.

Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Florida, Danny Wuerffel, the Wuerffel Trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society and inspire greater service in the world.

In 2019 – his third year as starting safety – Key ranked third on the Hilltoppers with 93 tackles and tied for second with eight pass breakups. Overall, the Lexington native started all 13 games and had four double-digit tackle performances, while recording a career-high two tackles for loss in WKU’s 20-14 win at FIU. Key also added a pair of pass breakups in back-to-back games at Old Dominion and vs. Army. In the Hilltoppers’ blowout, 45-19 win at Arkansas, Key put the nail in the coffin with a 25-yard interception return for touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Jones has produced back-to-back stellar seasons after redshirting in 2017 to make the conversion from linebacker to defensive end. In 2018, Jones set the program’s FBS Era record (dating back to 2009) by a freshman with five sacks while becoming the first freshman defensive lineman in Hilltopper history to earn All-American honors. He then improved across the board in 2019, with seven sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss – more than doubled from six in his debut campaign. The Sugar Hill, Ga., native also produced 55 total tackles, up from 42 in his first year.

In addition to producing between the lines on Saturday’s, both Key and Jones excel in the community. This past December, the two paid a visit to Dishman-McGinnis Elementary to congratulate the leaders of the month and talk to the students about the importance of leadership in the classroom and the community. They have also participated in team initiatives such as WKU’s Day of Caring and events with the local Center for Courageous Kids.

Both Key and Jones have earned bachelor’s degrees in Sport Management and are currently working in their graduate studies at WKU.

Since the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List began in 2015, five other Hilltoppers have been named: Forrest Lamp and Marcus Ward in 2016, Mike White in 2017, Julien Lewis in 2018 and Tyler Witt in 2019.