Johnson Named Coaches ACC Rookie of the Year

GREENSBORO, N.C. – University of Miami freshman Duke Johnson was named both the ACC Offensive and Overall Rookie of the Year by the league’s 12 head coaches, announced Wednesday by the conference office.

For the first time under the auspices of the ACC, the league’s 12 head coaches voted for an All-ACC football team, as well as Players of the Year, Rookies of the Year and a Coach of the Year award. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players; first-team selections were worth two points and second-team one point.

Johnson, who was named the ACC Offensive and Overall Rookie of the Year by the ACSMA last week, set a single-game ACC freshman standard with 368 all-purpose yards Nov. 10 at Virginia while also placing third in the league with 947 rushing yards and a 78.9 yards-per-game average.

Johnson is the first Hurricane to win the rookie award following a breakout season in which he broke Clinton Portis’ 13-year-old school rushing record for freshmen. In 2008, linebacker Sean Spence was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.

In addition to his rookie honors, Johnson was a second-team All-ACC selection at running back and earned honorable mention as a specialist.

Six other Hurricanes earned All-ACC honorable mention status from the league’s coaches. Junior RT Seantrel Henderson, junior RG Brandon Linder and redshirt sophomore C Shane McDermott received honorable mention on offense, while sophomore DE Anthony Chickillo, sophomore LB Denzel Perryman and senior S Vaughn Telemaque earned honorable mention on defense.

Johnson picked up eight votes in both the Overall and Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, finishing five ahead of Maryland WR Stefon Diggs. Redshirt freshman LB Eddie Johnson finished second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting with five votes and third in Overall Rookie of the Year voting with one vote.

Head coach Al Golden tied for third in Coach of the Year voting, receiving one vote along with NC State’s Tom O’Brien and Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson.

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