Will Monday, Ross Cockrell, Conner Vernon, Walt Canty named All ACC

Will Monday and Ross Cockrella re named 1st team All ACC - Photo BDN/Rick Crank

DURHAM, N.C. – Led by first team selections Ross Cockrell and Will Monday, nine Duke players earned All-ACC recognition as the conference released its all-league football teams on Monday afternoon.

Joining Cockrell and Monday were second unit choices Walt Canty and Conner Vernon along with honorable mention picks Kenny Anunike, Jamison Crowder, Dave Harding, Ross Martin and Perry Simmons.

Voting on the All-ACC teams was conducted by 46 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

Anunike, a redshirt senior defensive end from Galena, Ohio, who will return for a sixth season of eligibility in 2013, has totaled 42 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 quarterback sacks and one caused fumble this season.

Canty, a senior safety and co-captain from Roebuck, S.C., paces the Blue Devils in tackles with 102 while ranking ninth in the conference in tackles per game (8.50). He has added 5.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one interception on the year.

Cockrell, a redshirt junior cornerback and co-captain from Waxhaw, N.C., leads the ACC in interceptions with five while ranking third in total passes defended with 17. In 12 games, he has compiled 63 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 12 pass breakups.

Crowder, a sophomore wide receiver from Monroe, N.C., has 70 receptions for 1,025 yards and eight touchdowns on the year. In the regular season finale against Miami, he caught eight passes for a career-high 203 yards including an ACC record and NCAA record-tying 99-yard touchdown pass from Sean Renfree.

Harding, a redshirt junior offensive guard from Orlando, Fla., has started all 12 games along the Duke line this year, helping the Blue Devils rank second in the ACC in sacks allowed per pass attempt (26.37).

Martin, a freshman kicker from Solon, Ohio, has tallied 98 total points in 2012 by making 18-of-20 field goal attempts and all 44 of his PAT conversions. In the ACC, he ranks first in PAT percentage (1.000), third in field goals per game (1.50) and seventh in points per game (8.17).

Monday, a redshirt freshman punter from Flowery Branch, Ga., leads the conference and ranks 14th nationally in punting average at 44.12.

Simmons, a redshirt junior offensive tackle from Raleigh, N.C., has started all 12 games while helping the Duke offense average 31.33 points per game, marking the third-highest single-season total in school history.

Vernon, a senior wide receiver and co-captain from Miami, Fla., earns second team All-ACC accolades for the third consecutive season. Through 12 games, he has caught a team-best and school single-season record 75 passes for 955 yards and seven touchdowns. Earlier this season, Vernon became the ACC’s all-time leader in both pass receptions and receiving yardage and his 47-game career totals stand at 273 catches for 3,630 yards and 20 touchdowns.

2012 ALL-ACC TEAMS (Points)

FIRST TEAM

Offense

QB-Tajh Boyd, Clemson (86)

RB-Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (91)

RB-Andre Ellington, Clemson (77)

WR-DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson (80)

WR-Alex Amidon, Boston College (53)

OT-Oday Aboushi, Virginia (53)

OT-Brandon Thomas, Clemson (51)

OG-Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina (79)

OG-Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech (64)

C-Dalton Freeman, Clemson (78)

TE-Brandon Ford, Clemson (54)

K-Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (79)

Spec.- Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (48)

Defense

DE-Bjoern Werner, Florida State (89)

DE-Cornellius Carradine, Florida State (77)

DT-Joe Vellano, Maryland (80)

DT-Sylvester Williams, North Carolina (63)

LB-Nick Clancy, Boston College (66)

LB-Kevin Reddick, North Carolina (65)

LB-Steve Greer, Virginia (58)

CB-Xavier Rhodes, Florida State (66)

CB-Ross Cockrell, Duke (50)

S-Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (59)

S-Earl Wolff, NC State (46)

P-Will Monday, Duke (73)

SECOND TEAM

Offense

QB-E.J. Manuel, Florida State (25)

RB-Duke Johnson, Miami (47)

RB-Chris Thompson, Florida State (31)

WR-Conner Vernon, Duke (51)

WR-Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest (32)

OT-James Hurst, North Carolina (50)

OT-Cameron Erving, Florida State (21)

OT-Emmett Cleary, Boston College (21)

OG-Tre’ Jackson, Florida State (26)

OG-R.J. Matttes, NC State (24)

C- Bryan Stork, Florida State (19)

TE-Eric Ebron, North Carolina (51)

K-Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson (22)

K-Casey Barth, North Carolina (22)

Spec.-Duke Johnson, Miami (44)

Defense

DE-James Gayle, Virginia Tech (30)

DE-Kareem Martin, North Carolina (22)

DT-Everett Dawkins, Florida State (34)

DT-Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest (24)

LB-Demetrius Hartsfield, Maryland (34)

LB-Christian Jones, Florida State (31)

LB-Jack Tyler Virginia Tech (28)

CB-David Amerson, NC State (46)

CB-Antone Exum, Virginia Tech (44)

S-Rashard Hall, Clemson (43)

S- Walt Canty, Duke (31)

P-Tommy Hibbard, North Carolina (40)

Honorable Mention [Name, School, Position, Points]: Kenny Anunike (Duke), de (13); Jeremiah Attaochu (GT), lb (26); Brandan Bishop (NCS), safety (20); Travis Bond (UNC), og (14); Tre Boston (UNC), safety (29); Darryl Cato-Bishop (NCS), de (12); Emmett Cleary (BC), ot (21); Jamison Crowder (Duke), wr (15); Stefon Diggs (MD), spec. (33); Jay Finch (GT), c (16); Jon Feliciano (MIA), og (16); A.J. Francis (MD), de (12); Kyle Fuller (VT), cb (16); Mike Glennon (NCS), qb (10); Malliciah Goodman (CLEM), de (16); Dave Harding (Duke), og (14); Seantrel Henderson (MIA), ot (13); Antoine Hopkins (VT), dt (10); Derrick Hopkins (VT), dt (15); Will Jackson (GT), ot (14); Timmy Jernigan (FS), dt (15); Alex Kinal (WF), p (12); Gerald Levano (BC), p (13); Brandon Linder (MIA), og (21); Ross Martin (Duke), pk (11); Anthony McCloud (FS), dt (10); Jake McGee (VA), te (12); Demetrious Nicholson (VA), cb (12); Denzel Perryman (MIA), lb (12); Kevin Pierre-Louis (BC), lb (14); Bryn Renner (UNC), qb (15); LaRoy Reynolds (VA), lb (10); Tim Scott (UNC), cb (10); Perry Simmons (Duke), ot (11); Orwin Smith (GT), rb (13); Kenny Tate (MD), lb (12); Bruce Taylor (VT), lb (19); Sammy Watkins (CLEM), wr (19); Menelik Watson (FS), ot (13); Camden Wentz (NCS), c (12); Brennan Williams (UNC), ot (13); Vince Williams (FS), lb (11)