Meet our 2023 Crunch Time Hero of the Year
The votes are in, and the title is his! 🏆 🔥 Dylan Stewart is officially crowned the Crunch Time Hero of the Year! 💪 👏 From clutch plays to unforgettable moments, he proved why he’s the best of the best. 🏈 Thank you to everyone who participated and voted. See you all next year for more epic moments!
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Each week, our Crunch Time Hero selection committee will honor an unsung hero who produces a spectacular highlight.
At the end of the season, we'll select a Crunch Time Hero of the Year, and you could win a year of pork rinds!
Amarie is a junior defensive lineman from Ruskin, FL. His EPIC 70 yard pick six against Memphis was one of the most memorable highlights of the opening week of the season!
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Kobe is a redshirt junior defensive lineman from Farrell, PA. In Week Two, he scooped up a fumble and scored a touchdown in Miami's 41-28 victory over UMass.
Junior Defensive Lineman, Tyleik Williams, is no stranger to highlights. He entered the 2023 season with 37 tackles and 6 sacks. Tyleik's scoop-and-score touchdown against Western Kentucky put Ohio up 42-10!
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Pork rind connisseur and team captain, DeWayne is a defensive tackle who takes crunching seriously! His Week Four THICC SIX against UConn was highlighted as play of the week by several media outlets (including yours truly).
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Jelani is listed as a Defensive Lineman, but he also moonlights as UConn's offensive secret weapon. In Week Five, he ran for an offensive touchdown and also caught a critical first down pass.
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Chris is a 6'2 Defensive Lineman from Vincent, AL. His Week 6 interception for 75 yards (and almost a touchdown) iced the game in a critical win over MTSU.
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Let's just say that Sedrick's fumblerooski against Vanderbilt was... unconventional. Down 0-7 in Q1, he scooped up his own fumbled snap and ran the ball for a Georgia first down.
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Nolan Rucci is a sophomore Offensive Lineman who stepped in a big way for Wisconsin. Late in the 4th quarter, he lined up as an eligble receiver and caught the game winning touchdown against Illinois. Delicious!
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Who doesn't love a safety? The opposing team, that's who! Dani's crunch time strip sack against Indiana led to just that. Penn State would go on to win the game 33-24.
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Nazir's interception against Missouri may have been the NASTIEST play of the year so far. The defensive tackle snagged the ball with 8 minutes left in the game and ran for nearly 50 yards! Georgia won the game 30-21.
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Kenneth is 6'3" and 339lbs, but he's faster than some running backs! In Week 11, he sprinted 35 yards to chase down a runaway Penn State player in the open field.
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Our friend Derrick smoothly snagged a Maryland fumble and ran it in for a sweet touchdown to put Michigan up 13-3.
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There's a lot to unpack with this hero, so try to keep up! Somehow, SMU's Will Benton long snapped a punt, sprinted downfield to the receiver, recovered a fumble, and then scored a touchdown. All in one play!
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Syracuse University Junior Defensive Back Devin Grant is our final Crunch Time Hero of the Week. Grant forced a fumble, recovered the ball and ran 56 yards for a touchdown! Grant's Crunch Time play gave Syracuse the lead in a crucial conference game.
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Our Week 12 Crunch Time Hero is Sophomore Outside Linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei from the University of Oregon. Uiagalelei's five total tackles and Crunch Time interception late in the fourth quarter helped the Ducks cement a WIN against the University of Wisconsin.
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Our Week 11 Crunch Time Hero is Junior Defensive End Zion Young from the University of Missouri. As the clock ran down in the fourth quarter, Young scooped up a fumble for a touchdown. His Crunch Time play secured an important SEC win for the Mizzou Tigers.
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Our Week 10 Crunch Time Hero is Sophomore Linebacker CJ Allen from the University of Georgia. Allen’s Crunch Time interception late in the fourth quarter propelled the Bulldogs to a victory over the Florida Gators.
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Our Week 9 Crunch Time Hero is Southern Methodist University's Senior Defensive End Jahfari Harvey. He hurdled the line and blocked a field goal attempt culminating in an overtime WIN for SMU against Duke University.
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Our Week 8 Crunch Time Hero is University of Tennessee Senior Defensive Back Will Brooks. His clutch shoestring tackle on University of Alabama QB Jalen Milroe resulted in a driving interception - his second of the season - as Tennessee ran out the clock for an historic win.
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Our Week 7 Crunch Time Hero is University of Notre Dame Senior Offensive Lineman Pat Coogan. In a standout play against rival Stanford University, Coogan grabbed a loose ball and ran down the field for a first down, turning a negative play into positive yards.
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Vanderbilt University Sophmore Linebacker Randon Fontenette is our week 6 Crunch Time Hero after his game-changing play against Alabama! He intercepted the ball and dashed down the field, scoring a defensive touchdown that left Alabama stunned and Commodores fans roaring. His score turned the tide—pun intended—propelling Vanderbilt to one of the biggest upsets in years!
Our Week 5 Crunch Time Hero is University of Alabama Freshman Defensive End Zabien Brown! In the first showdown of the season between Alabama and Georgia, Brown made a Crunch Time play that propelled the Crimson Tide to victory. Brown's interception in the end zone during the final seconds of the fourth quarter upset the number one ranked Bulldogs. Final score, Alabama 41 - Georgia 34.
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The "Battle for the Iron Skillet" between SMU and TCU was never in question after Senior SMU Cornerback Brandon Crossley made a crunch time play with his fumble recovery, returning it 51 yards for a touchdown. The pumped up Mustangs never lost the lead as they defeated their rivals, claiming the trophy and an entire year of bragging rights in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
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Louisiana State University Senior Bradyn Swinson's forced fumble against South Carolina makes him the Week 3 Crunch Time Hero! The defensive end had an exceptional game with a strip sack in the fourth quarter which stopped a scoring drive. Swinson was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his impact on LSU's win.
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Talk about an epic Crunch Time play! It all went down during the thrilling Mississippi State-Arizona State out-of-conference showdown. Sophomore defensive lineman C.J. Fite picked up a loose ball and showed his athleticism. In an epic moment, he contorted and stretched the ball over the pylon for a spectacular score, extending the Sun Devils lead. Fite's touchdown turned out to be the difference in the game!
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Dylan Stewart, South Carolina’s standout true freshman defensive end, made a splash in his college debut! With four tackles, 1.5 sacks, a QB hurry, and two forced fumbles in a thrilling 23-19 win over Old Dominion, he was unstoppable. Not only did he earn the highest grade of any college football player in Week 1, but he also nabbed the best rating for a major school edge rusher in the past four years! Talk about starting with a bang!
visit instagramMeet our 2023 Crunch Time Hero of the Year
Jelani, a Defensive Tackle for UConn, shattered all expectations for his Junior season.
Under Coach Jim Mora, Jelani was a dual-threat: he led UConn in rushing touchdowns as a secret Fullback, notched a career-best 40 tackles, and topped his team in fumble recoveries.
Outside of football, Jelani is pursuing a Communications degree and volunteers with United Way.
What's next for Jelani? A nice bag of high-protein pork rinds!
Vote for your favorite hero to be entered to win a year's supply of pork rinds: one Gourmet Pork Rind Sampler delivered every quarter for a year. No purchase is required. One vote per valid email address, Contiguous USA only please. Winner is announced by 12/31/23.
Enter each week for a chance to win a Pork Rind Variety Pack. No purchase required. One vote per valid email address, contiguous United States only. One winner selected weekly. At the end of the college football season, one entry will randomly be chosen to win a year supply of pork rinds, awarded as a four variety packs sent every three months for one year. Entrants must be opted-in to marketing emails from PorkRinds.com to win. If you do not receive an opt-in email from PorkRinds.com after entering the contest, please contact oink@porkrinds.com.
Vote for your favorite hero to be entered to win a year's supply of pork rinds: one Gourmet Pork Rind Sampler delivered every quarter for a year. No purchase is required. One vote per valid email address, Contiguous USA only please. Winner is announced by 12/31/23.
