Ohio State great Tom Cousineau was named Tuesday as the recipient of the 2018 Bronko Nagurski Legends Award, presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club in conjuction with the Football Writers Association of America, which recognizes outstanding defensive football players from the past 40 years.
Congrats to 2016 @cfbhall inductee Tom Cousineau (@OhioStateFB) on being named the recipient of the 2018 Bronko Nagurski Legends Award! pic.twitter.com/jPTycUfisC
— Football Foundation (@NFFNetwork) March 13, 2018
Cousineau played for Ohio State from 1975-78 and was a consensus All-American in each of his final two seasons. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 NFL draft. He ranks second in Ohio State history in total tackles (569), including a single-season record 211 tackles in 1978. He was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
“It’s so humbling all these years later to be remembered this way," Cousineau said in a FWAA press release. "I would never had imagined football would still be pouring incredible blessings into my life like they have the last couple years and I’m just so humbled."
Previous recipients of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award include Alan Page, Bubba Smith, Ted Hendricks, Roger Wehrli, Mike McCoy, Jack Youngblood, Larry Jacobson, Randy Rhino, Randy White, fellow Ohio State great Randy Gradishar, Chet Moeller and Ross Browner.