Air Force safety Trey Taylor is this year’s recipient of the Defender of the Nation Award, the presiding Charlotte Touchdown Club announced Thursday.

The award goes to a player from a service academy, senior military institution or top collegiate ROTC program and is based on leadership qualities on the field, as a student and within the community. Taylor will receive the award on Dec. 4 at the Bronco Nagurski Awards Banquet.

“We are fortunate on our football team to have so many well qualified players for this award, and yet, Trey is an incredible choice,” said Air Force coach Troy Calhoun. “He’s a tremendous teammate, a tough and highly productive football player, fine student, and most of all, a young man with enormous leadership attributes.”

Taylor ranks second on the Falcons with 46 tackles, including 4½ for loss. He has a team-high two interceptions that he has returned for 81 yards and one touchdown. He also blocked a PAT against Wyoming that preserved a tie midway through the fourth quarter and might go down as the most significant play of the season for the Falcons.

Prior to the season, the senior from Texas was named to the Nagurski and Jim Thorpe Awards watch lists and was a preseason All-Mountain West selection, making him the most honored Falcon heading into a season since 2016.