GREENSBORO, N.C. – Heisman Trophy finalist Jameis Winston of Florida State leads the 2013 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Football Team, as selected by the league’s 14 head coaches.
Winston, the redshirt freshman quarterback whose stellar season has led the top-ranked Seminoles to a 13-0 record a spot in the BCS National Championship Game, was voted the ACC Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Under the auspices of the ACC, the league's 14 head football 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 and ballots were worth three points for each first-team, two points for second-team and one point for third-team selections.
Winston was one of three unanimous first-team selections to the All-ACC team (named on all 13 possible ballots). He was joined by national rushing leader and fellow Heisman finalist Andre Williams of Boston College and Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins, a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
The 2013 Coaches All-ACC team was similar to the All-ACC squad announced last week by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA), as the two voting bodies agreed on all of the major award winners. Winston is the first freshman to be named the ACC Player of the Year.
In addition to Winston’s four major awards, 2013 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner Aaron Donald of Pitt was voted the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Duke’s David Cutcliffe was voted the ACC Coach of the Year by his peers for the second straight season, and Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller picked up ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Winston, a native of Bessemer, Ala., has thrown 38 touchdown passes to set an ACC and NCAA FBS freshman record. Winston’s 3,820 yards passing are also an FBS freshman record, and his 190.1 passing efficiency rating leads the nation.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Winston has been named a finalist for the Maxwell Award, the Manning Award and the Davey O’Brien Award in addition to the Heisman. He earned six National Player of the Week awards over the course of the regular season.
Pitt’s Donald also earned national attention with his defensive play throughout the Panthers’ inaugural ACC season and has been named a finalist for the Outland Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Rotary Lombardi Award in addition to claiming the Nagurski Trophy earlier this week.
A hometown product of Pittsburgh, Pa., the 6-foot, 285-pound Donald leads the nation with 26.5 tackles for lost yardage (2.2 per game). The senior has forced four fumbles while registering 10 quarterback sacks. Donald has 54 total tackles in addition to 16 quarterback hurries, two pass break-ups and a blocked extra point that proved the difference in Pitt’s one-point ACC win over Syracuse on Nov. 23. His tackles behind the line of scrimmage have resulted in total losses of 130 yards.
Donald received five National Defensive Player of the Week awards, and was twice named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week. With 28.5 career sacks, he is tied for second among active NCAA FBS players.
Virginia Tech’s Fuller ranks fifth nationally in interceptions with six and is leading the conference with 16 passes defended. The Baltimore, Md., freshman finished the regular season with 56 tackles, including 37 solo stops.
Fuller was named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week on Oct. 28 after picking off three passes in Virginia Tech’s game against Duke. He was again honored as the ACC Defensive Back of the Week on Dec. 2 after intercepting one pass and breaking up four more in a win at Virginia. His efforts helped drive a Hokie defense that ranks third nationally in total defense (296.6 yards allowed per game) and fifth nationally in fewest passing yards allowed (165.8 per game).
Fuller, who started 11 regular-season games and played in all 12, joined brother Kyle as prominent members of Virginia Tech’s secondary. Older brothers Vincent and Corey Fuller previously played for the Hokies and in the NFL.
Cutcliffe, named National Coach of the Year by the Walter Camp Foundation, has guided the Blue Devils to a 10-3 season and the ACC Coastal Division title. Duke’s 10 wins are a school record, and the Blue Devils will be appearing in a bowl game for a second straight year for the first time in program history when they face Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl at Atlanta on New Year’s Eve.
The Blue Devils’ 10 wins in 2013 are as many victories as the program had for the 2000 through 2007 seasons combined, prior to Cutcliffe’s arrival in 2008. A native of Birmingham, Ala., Cutcliffe has guided his teams to 31 total wins in his six years at Duke and owns a 75-72 overall record in 12 seasons as a college head coach.
Florida State’s Winston leads a group of 11 Seminoles voted to the Coaches All-ACC team (six offense, four defense, one special team). Duke’s Jamison Crowder was voted to the first team at two positions (wide receiver and specialist).
The ACC champion Seminoles led all schools with 17 total selections on the first, second and third teams. Clemson and Duke both had 10 players voted to the squad, and Miami and Virginia Tech had nine each.
ACC Player of the Year – Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
ACC Offensive Player of the Year – Jameis Winston, QB Florida State
ACC Defensive Player of the Year – Aaron Donald, DT, Pitt
ACC Rookie of the Year – Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year – Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year – Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
ACC Coach of the Year – David Cutcliffe, Duke
2013 ACC Coaches All-ACC Football Team
(Voting points in Parentheses)
First Team
Offense
QB—Jameis Winston, Fr.-R, Florida State (39)
RB—Andre Williams, Sr., Boston College (39)
RB—Devonte Freeman, Jr., Florida State (28)
WR—Sammy Watkins, Jr., Clemson (39)
WR—Rashad Greene, Jr., Florida State (31)
WR—Jamison Crowder, Jr., Duke (31)
TE—Eric Ebron, Jr., North Carolina (38)
T—Cameron Erving, Jr.-R, Florida State (31)
T—Brandon Thomas, Sr.-R, Clemson (23)
G—Laken Tomlinson, Jr.-R, Duke (26)
G—Tre’ Jackson, Jr., Florida State (23)
C—Bryan Stork, Sr.-R, Florida State (38)
Defense
DE—Vic Beasley, Jr., Clemson (35)
DE—Jeremiah Attaochu, Sr., Georgia Tech (29)
DT—Aaron Donald, Sr., Pitt (35)
DT—Timmy Jernigan, Jr., Florida State (33)
LB—Telvin Smith, Sr., Florida State (37)
LB—Denzel Perryman, Jr., Miami (30)
LB—Kevin Pierre-Louis, Sr., Boston College (28)
CB—Lamarcus Joyner, Sr., Florida State (38)
CB—Kyle Fuller, Sr., Virginia Tech (32)
S—Terrence Brooks, Sr., Florida State (33)
S—Anthony Harris, Jr., Virginia (22)
Special Teams
PK—Roberto Aguayo, Fr.-R, Florida State (28)
P—Pat O’Donnell, Sr.-R, Miami (31)
SP—Jamison Crowder, Jr., Duke (27)
Second Team
Offense
QB—Tajh Boyd, Sr.-R, Clemson (27)
RB—Duke Johnson, So., Miami (27)
RB—Kevin Parks, Jr., Virginia (18)
WR—Kelvin Benjamin, So.-R, Florida State (22)
WR—Michael Campanaro, Sr., Wake Forest (20)
WR—Allen Hurns, Sr., Miami (17)
TE—Nick O’Leary. Jr., Florida State (27)
T—Morgan Moses, Sr., Virginia (22)
T (Tie)—Matt Patchan, Sr.-R, Boston College (21)
T (Tie)—James Hurst, Sr., North Carolina (21)
G—Brandon Linder, Sr., Miami (19)
G (Tie)—Josue Matias, Jr., Florida State (15)
G (Tie)—Andrew Miller, Sr.-R, Virginia Tech (15)
C—Macky MacPherson, Sr., Syracuse (10)
Defense
DE—Kareem Martin, Sr., North Carolina
DE (Tie)—Kenny Anunike, Sr.-R, Duke (15)
DE (Tie)—Kasim Edebali, Sr.-R, Boston College (15)
DT—Nikita Whitlock, Sr., Wake Forest (30)
DT—Derrick Hopkins, Sr., Virginia Tech (16)
LB—Christian Jones, Sr., Florida State (26)
LB—Jack Tyler, Sr.-R, Virginia Tech (25)
LB—Kelby Brown, Jr.-R, Duke (17)
CB—Ross Cockrell, Sr.-R, Duke (21)
CB—Kendall Fuller, Fr., Virginia Tech (18)
S—Jeremy Cash, So.-R, Duke (21)
S—Tre Boston, Sr., North Carolina (21)
Special Teams
PK—Nate Freese, Sr., Boston College (22)
P—A.J. Hughes, So., Virginia Tech (19)
SP—Ryan Switzer, Fr., North Carolina (25)
Third Team
Offense
QB—Stephen Morris, Sr., Miami (11)
RB—Jerome Smith, Jr., Syracuse (13)
RB—Roderick McDowell, Sr.-R, Clemson (13)
WR—Kenny Shaw, Sr., Florida State (16)
WR—Tyler Boyd, Fr., Pitt (16)
WR—Alex Amidon, Sr., Boston College (14)
TE—Braxton Deaver, Jr., Duke (8)
T—Seantrel Henderson, Sr., Miami (15)
T—Perry Simmons, Sr.-R, Duke (11)
G—Tyler Shatley, Sr.-R, Clemson (14)
G—Shaquille Mason, Jr., Georgia Tech (13)
C—Shane McDermott, Jr., Miami (9)
Defense
DE—James Gayle, Sr.-R, Virginia Tech (13)
DE—Mario Edwards Jr., So. Florida State (12)
DT—Luther Maddy, Jr., Virginia Tech (14)
DT—Jay Bromley, Sr., Syracuse (11)
LB—Spencer Shuey, Sr.-R, Clemson (12)
LB—Stephone Anthony, Jr., Clemson (11)
LB—Marquis Spruill, Sr., Syracuse (11)
CB—Bashaud Breeland, Jr.-R, Clemson (11)
CB—Kevin Johnson, Jr.-R, Wake Forest (9)
S—Kyshoen Jarrett, Jr., Virginia Tech (15)
S—Durell Eskridge, So., Syracuse (9)
Special Teams
PK—Chandler Catanzaro, Sr.-R, Clemson (15)
P—Will Monday, So.-R, Duke (14)
SP—Stacy Coley, Fr., Miami (10)
Honorable Mention
(8 points or higher)
Offense: RB—David Sims, Sr.-R, Georgia Tech (9); WR—Martavis Bryant, Jr., Clemson (13); WR—Devin Street, Pitt (13); Stefon Diggs, So., Maryland (8); C—David Wang, Jr.-R, Virginia Tech (8); T—Ian White, Sr.-R, Boston College (10); Bobby Hart, Jr., Florida State (8).
Defense: DE--J.R. Collins, Sr.-R, Virginia Tech, (11); Corey Crawford, Jr., Clemson (8); DT—Grady Jarrett, Jr., Clemson (9); LB—Steele Divitto, Sr.-R, Boston College (10); Marcus Whitfield, Sr.-R, Maryland (8); CB—Jabari Price, Sr., North Carolina (8).
Special Teams: PK—Niklas Sade, Jr., NC State (12).
Offensive Player of the Year
Jameis Winston, Fr.-R, Florida State (12); Andre Williams, Sr., Boston College (2)
Defensive Player of the Year
Aaron Donald, Sr., Pitt (7); Vic Beasley, Jr. Clemson (3); Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State (3); Nikita Whitlock, Sr., Wake Forest (1)
Player of the Year
Jameis Winston, Fr.-R, Florida State (10); Andre Williams, RB, Boston College (4).
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Jameis Winston, Fr.-R, Florida State (13), Tyler Boyd, Fr., Pitt (1)
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Kendall Fuller, Fr., Virginia Tech (8); Brandon Facyson, Fr., Virginia Tech (2); Nate Andrews, CB, Fr., Florida State (1); DeVon Edwards, CB, Fr.-R, Duke (1); Jalen Ramsey, S, Fr., Florida State (1); Ryan Janvion, SS, Fr.-R, Wake Forest (1).
Rookie of the Year
Jameis Winston, QB, Fr.-R, Florida State (11); Tyler Boyd, WR, Fr., Pitt (1); Kendall Fuller, CB, Fr., Virginia Tech (1); Ryan Janvion, SS, Fr.-R, Wake Forest (1).
Coach of the Year
David Cutcliffe, Duke (11); Jimbo Fisher, Florida State (3).