Caden Fordham Recognized on the Comeback Player of the Year Watch List
8/19/2025 3:00:00 PM | Football
NEW YORK, NY – After missing six games last season due to a season-ending injury, NC State Linebacker Caden Fordham has been named to the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List announced by the College Sports Communicators in association with The Associated Press (AP) and Fiesta Sports Foundation.
Fordham is one of 75 college football student-athletes from 51 different schools currently under consideration for the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Before being sidelined, Fordham was the team's leading tackler. In the Wolfpack's win over NIU, he posted a career-high with 14 stops and also played a career-high 74 snaps in that victory.
Overall, Fordham has appeared in 35 games for the Wolfpack, totaling 110 tackles, including eight tackles for a loss and two sacks, going into 2025.
Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Fordham suffered an isolated left ACL injury in practice last season, just before the game against Syracuse, after a pass rush drill, hyperextending his knee, which sidelined him for the rest of the season.
In the nine months it took Fordham to recover, he focused on regaining his range of motion and strength. What can be a long, tedious recovery, Fordham focused on getting back on the field and worked hard to get back to full strength. The hard work paid off as he reported to football activities in early July and has participated in all of the football camp and will be ready for week one against ECU.
Grayson McCall, Savion Jackson, and Payton Wilson are previous Pack players also to be named to the Comeback Player Award Watch List.
Fordham is one of 75 college football student-athletes from 51 different schools currently under consideration for the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Before being sidelined, Fordham was the team's leading tackler. In the Wolfpack's win over NIU, he posted a career-high with 14 stops and also played a career-high 74 snaps in that victory.
Overall, Fordham has appeared in 35 games for the Wolfpack, totaling 110 tackles, including eight tackles for a loss and two sacks, going into 2025.
Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Fordham suffered an isolated left ACL injury in practice last season, just before the game against Syracuse, after a pass rush drill, hyperextending his knee, which sidelined him for the rest of the season.
In the nine months it took Fordham to recover, he focused on regaining his range of motion and strength. What can be a long, tedious recovery, Fordham focused on getting back on the field and worked hard to get back to full strength. The hard work paid off as he reported to football activities in early July and has participated in all of the football camp and will be ready for week one against ECU.
Grayson McCall, Savion Jackson, and Payton Wilson are previous Pack players also to be named to the Comeback Player Award Watch List.
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