Senior’s honor is the 10th for a Seminole lineman
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Florida State’s Cameron Erving has been voted the Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner for the second consecutive season, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced Sunday. With Erving’s selection, six Seminole offensive linemen have now claimed the honor a combined 10 times.
The Jacobs Blocking Trophy has been awarded annually since 1953 to the player chosen the most outstanding blocker in the ACC by a vote of each school’s head coach or defensive coordinator. The trophy is given in memory of William P. Jacobs, who served as president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. The trophy will be presented at the ACC’s Night of Legends event, which will be held this Friday (5:30 p.m.) at the Charlotte Convention Center as part of festivities held around the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game.
Erving, a 6-5, 308-pound redshirt senior from Moultrie, Georgia, earned this year’s honor after playing two offensive line positions for the top-ranked and unbeaten Seminoles over the course of the season. After starting 37 consecutive career games at left tackle, he moved to center for Florida State’s road game at Miami on Nov. 15. He did not allow a sack and had the highest grade on the offensive line in the Seminoles’ 30-26 win.
Erving was voted the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week following his performance against Miami. The honor was his second of the season, as he was also recognized for his play at left tackle following Florida State’s 42-31 win over Louisville on Oct. 30. Following the Miami game, Erving remained at center for the Seminoles’ final two regular-season wins over Boston College and Florida.
“For Cam to win the Jacobs again for the second straight year is a tremendous accomplishment and very well deserving,” Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “His versatility from tackle to center and all the things he does for our line from the leadership and experience really makes him one of the great ones out there.”
This marks just the third season that Erving has played on the offensive line. He played on the defensive line in 2011 before switching to the offensive side of the ball. Erving amassed 22 total points in the coaches’ voting to capture the 61st ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy (no award was given in 1996). Duke’s Laken Tomlinson placed second in the voting with 15 points, followed by Pitt’s T.J. Clemmings with 12 and Georgia Tech’s Shaquille Mason with nine. In all, 13 different ACC offensive linemen received votes in the balloting.
Erving started all 12 regular-season games in 2014 and has made 40 consecutive starts on the offensive line dating back to 2012. His play this season has helped Florida State average close to 35 points per game and lead the ACC in passing offense (299.1 yards per game).
He is the sixth Florida State player to be named a recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, and becomes the fourth to win the award multiple times. Guard Rodney Hudson (2009 and 2010), tackle Brett Williams (2001 and 2002) and center Clay Shiver (1994 and 1995) were other FSU two-time recipients. Tackles Tra Thomas (1997) and Tarlos Thomas (2000) were each honored once.
Previous Winners of the ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy
1953 Bill Wohrman, FB, South Carolina
1954 Bill Wohrman, FB, South Carolina
1955 Bob Pellegrini, C, Maryland
1956 Hal McElhaney, FB, Duke
1957 Hal McElhaney, FB, Duke
1958 John Saunders, FB, South Carolina
1959 Doug Cline, FB, Clemson
1960 Dwight Bumgarner, T, Duke
1961 Art Gregory, T, Duke
Jim LeCompte, G, North Carolina
1962 Art Gregory, T, Duke
1963 Chuck Walker,T, Duke
1964 Eddie Kesler, FB, North Carolina
1965 John McNabb, G, Duke
1966 Wayne Mass, T, Clemson
1967 Harry Olszewski, G, Clemson
1968 Greg Shelly, T, Virginia
1969 Ralph Sonntag, T, Maryland
1970 Dan Ryczek, C, Virginia
1971 Geoff Hamlin, FB, North Carolina
1972 Ron Rusnak, G, North Carolina
1973 Bill Yoest, G, NC State
1974 Ken Huff, G, North Carolina
1975 Billy Bryan, C, Duke
1976 Billy Bryan, C, Duke
1977 Joe Bostic, G, Clemson
1978 Jim Ritcher, C, NC State
1979 Jim Ritcher, C, NC State
1980 Ron Wooten, G, North Carolina
1981 Lee Nanney, T, Clemson
1982 Dave Pacella, T, Maryland
1983 James Farr, G, Clemson
1984 Jim Dombrowski, T, Virginia
1985 Jim Dombrowski, T, Virginia
1986 Paul Kiser, G, Wake Forest
1987 John Phillips, G, Clemson
1988 Jeff Garnica, C, North Carolina
1989 Chris Port, T, Duke
1990 Ray Roberts, T, Virginia
1991 Ray Roberts, T, Virginia
1992 Ben Coleman, T, Wake Forest
1993 Mark Dixon, G, Virginia
1994 Clay Shiver, C, Florida State
1995 Clay Shiver, C, Florida State
1996 no recipient
1997 Tra Thomas, T, Florida State
1998 Craig Page, C, Georgia Tech
1999 John St. Clair, C, Virginia
2000 Tarlos Thomas, T, Florida State
2001 Brett Williams, T, Florida State
2002 Brett Williams, T, Florida State
2003 Elton Brown, G, Virginia
2004 Elton Brown, G, Virginia
2005 Eric Winston, T, Miami
2006 Josh Beekman, G-C, Boston College
2007 Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest
2008 Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia
2009 Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State
2010 Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State
2011 Blake DeChristopher, T, Virginia Tech
2012 Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina
2013 Cameron Erving, T, Florida State
2014 Cameron Erving, T-C, Florida State