Sophomore’s honor is the 11th for a Seminole lineman
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Florida State’s Roderick Johnson has been voted the winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, as announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Sunday.
The Jacobs Blocking Trophy has been awarded annually since 1953 to the player voted the most outstanding blocker in the ACC by a poll of the league’s head coaches and defensive coordinators. With Johnson’s selection, seven Seminole offensive linemen have now claimed the honor a combined 11 times. This marks the third consecutive year that a Florida State student-athlete will receive the award.
“I’m extremely happy for Rod,” Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “He is an outstanding young man who deserves everything he gets. He stands for what’s right about college football. He is a great person, a great student and a tremendous player for us, as well as a team leader. I’m ecstatic for him. It’s a very well-deserved honor.”
The trophy is given in memory of William P. Jacobs, who served as president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. The 2015 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 surrounding the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game.
Johnson, a 6-foot-7, 323-pound sophomore from Florissant, Missouri, earned the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in his first full season as a starter on Florida State’s offensive line. After making a strong impression starting the final five games of his freshman season and helping the Seminoles to the ACC championship in 2014, Johnson picked up where he left off this fall.
The standout left tackle earned ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors on September 14 for his play in the Seminoles’ win over South Florida. He has played a prominent role throughout the season paving the way for ACC rushing leader Dalvin Cook – who has run for 1,658 yards and 18 touchdowns in 11 games – and protecting the Florida State passers. Johnson is a big reason that Florida State ranks fourth in the ACC in total offense and averages over 32 points per game.
Johnson amassed 20 total points in the coaches’ voting to capture the 62nd ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy (no award was given in 1996). Duke’s Matt Skura and North Carolina’s Landon Turner tied for second place with 14 points each, while Pitt’s Adam Bisnowaty placed fourth with 12. In all, 17 ACC offensive linemen received votes in the balloting.
Past Florida State winners of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy included four two-time recipients in guard Rodney Hudson (2009 and 2010), tackle Brett Williams (2001 and 2002), center Clay Shiver (1994 and 1995) and tackle/center Cameron Erving (2013 and 2014). 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
2015 Roderick Johnson, T, Florida State