Kansas linebacker Ben Heeney is mobbed by fans following the Jayhawks' 31-19 win over West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 at Memorial Stadium.

Kansas University senior linebacker Ben Heeney’s name continues to appear on college football’s national radar.

Named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list earlier this week, Heeney received more good news Thursday when the Football Writers Association of America announced he also made the 2014 Bronko Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list.

The Nagurski trophy goes to the National Defensive Player of the Year, and will be presented to the winner Dec. 8 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Bronko Nagurski Torphy Banquet. Five finalists for the honor will be announced Nov. 20 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

The preseason list includes 81 players, 13 of which call the Big 12 home.

A senior from Hutchinson, Heeney missed a pair of games in the middle of the 2013 conference slate, but still finished with a team-best 88 total stops, including 11.5 tackles for loss and the first three interceptions of his career. An All-Big 12 Second Team selection by the Associated Press and the conference coaches last season, he was fourth in the Big 12 with 8.7 tackles per game and ranked fifth in tackles-for-loss per game with 1.15. He reached double figures in tackles in six of his 10 games played, including four conference matchups.

In 2012, Heeney burst on to the scene with 112 tackles in his first season as a starter for the Jayhawks. His 112 tackles included 66 solo stops. He led KU with 12.0 tackles for loss and added one sack. He also was credited with two pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble.

It has been an eventful offseason for Heeney, who also was named preseason Fist-Team All-Big 12 by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine.

KU’s 2014 season begins Sept. 6, when the Jayhawks play host to Southeast Missouri State at Memorial Stadium.