ORLANDO, Fla. -- It has been LSU's year in college football, and it was the Tigers' night at the 21st annual Home Depot College Football Awards.

Members of the Tigers' secondary won two of the major awards presented Thursday night.

Cornerback and Heisman Trophy nominee Tyrann Mathieu won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the college defensive player of the year, and teammate Morris Claiborne was took the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's outstanding defensive back.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Mathieu is the second straight LSU back to win the Bednarik Award, following Patrick Peterson, who turned over his No. 7 to Mathieu.

"I talked to him before I came here. I asked him what to wear and he just said to look sharp," Mathieu said. "He knew that I was going to win the award. I definitely had his vote."