Branch Named to Ted Hendricks Watch List

Aug. 9, 2011

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson senior defensive end Andre Branch is one of 35 preseason candidates for the 2011 Ted Hendricks Award. Now in its 10th year, the Ted Hendricks Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time All-American, Ted Hendricks, who was one of the top defensive players in the nation at Miami (FL). He went on to play 15 years in the NFL.

Last year’s recipient of the award was Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, who is now with the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Branch had 55 tackles last season, including 7.5 tackles for loss, five of which were sacks. He was second on the Clemson team in sacks behind Bowers’ NCAA leading 15.5 in 2010. For his career, Branch has played in 34 games, 13 as a starter and has 112 career tackles.

Branch, a native of Richmond, VA, is one of seven players from the ACC on the Hendricks Award list. The others are Quinton Couples and Donte Paige-Moss of North Carolina, Brandon Jenkins of Florida State, Cam Johnson of Virginia and Olivier Vernon of Miami (FL). Two more Clemson opponents have a Hendricks Award candidate, as Jonathan Massaquoi of Troy and Devin Taylor of South Carolina are also on the list.

Branch is the sixth different Clemson player on a preseason Watch List for a position award. Dalton Freeman and Andre Ellington are each on three award lists entering 2011.