Double-T Nation Post Season Awards | Defensive Most Improved Player
by Seth C on Apr 26, 2011 9:00 AM CDT
in Texas Tech Football
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This is the second annual "Double-T Nation's Post Season Awards". The categories which the DTN community will be nominating and voting are as follows: Offensive Rookie of the Year; Defensive Rookie of the Year; Most Improved Offensive Player; Most Improved Defensive Player; Special Teams Player of the Year; Offensive Player of the Year; Defensive Player of the Year; and Most Valuable Player.
This is another short list, in part because there were either freshmen or redshirt freshmen playing, which would make them eligible for the rookie of the year award or they were mostly upper-classmen and established players, i.e. Colby Whitlock, Bront Bird, Brian Duncan, etc. So in trying to figure out nominees the three players that I thought qualified for this award were the following: S Brett Dewhurst, LB Julius Howard, LB Tyrone Sonier, and LB Sam Fehoko.
So how much better were these players. Fehoko finished 2010 with 40 tackles, 3.5 TFL (tackles for loss) and 2.0 sacks compared to just 19 tackles, 1.0 TFL and no sacks in 2009. Dewhurst finished the year with 35 tackles and 4 PBU (passes broken up) compared to 26 tackles and 4 PBU in 2009. Howard, who switched positions for the 100th time, finished 2010 with 33 tackles and 4.0 TFL while having 29 tackles and 1.0 TFL in 2009. Last, but not least, in limited time, Sonier had 22 tackles, 1.0 TFL and 1.0 sacks in 2010 while having only 4 tackles in 2009.
Let me know if I've forgotten someone and even though I've listed these players, I'd still like for you guys and gals to nominate players in the comments and vote for other if you feel like I've missed someone.
DTN Post Season Award Winners
- Offensive MVP |
- Defensive MVP |
- Special Teams MVP |
- Offensive Most Improved Player |
- Defensive Most Improved Player |
- Offensive Rookie of the Year | RB Ben McRoy
- Defensive Rookie of the Year | S Tre' Porter
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On second thought...
I’m a little surprised that Cody Davis did not make the list.
87 tackles; 6.5 TFL – 30 yards; 1.0 sack – 7 yards; 1 INT – 0 yards; 1 fumble recovery – 4 yards.
I didn’t include him because his 2009 numbers vs. his 2010 numbers were similar. 87 tackles in 2010 vs. 81 in 2009. My thought was that he was already good.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
Good point....
I would add though the forgotten value was directing traffic in the secondary. Especially with all the youngsters not knowing where they should go. But just sticking to stastics, you are correct, Obie One. :)
Texas Tech
Needs all of these guys to double their production again next year. The defense cannot depend on new guys carrying the freight. There is no experience like Big 12 game experience.
Fehoko?????
Really? My buddy in the drug testing business should be wealthy.
"Trust your gut....mine always finds good Mexican food"
-Me
by oldschoolraider on Apr 26, 2011 2:13 PM CDT reply actions
In terms of pure statistical improvement
Sonier probably saw the biggest jump from 2009 to 2010, if for no other reason than he went from barely getting any playing time to somewhat serviceable backup. However, in terms of a player who went from being a placeholder to a legitimate contributor, my vote goes to Sam Fehoko, although given his excellent spring we might see an even bigger jump in improvement from him from 2010 to 2011.
While I’m glad Julius Howard has managed to stick around and I assume is going to graduate, he just hasn’t claimed a spot for himself in the defensive backfield or been particularly disruptive at a position that needs to make an impact. If anything his big jump came during the 2009 season, and he has sort of drifted sideways ever since. Who knows, maybe between the 4-3 OLB and MLB, 3-4 Interior LB, 4-3 SS, and I don’t even know where he’s going to line up in the new system, maybe he’ll finally find a happy place. Dewhurst has always struck me as a consistent roleplayer, but in terms of numbers he’s almost an identical twin to Howard.
Was there enough improvement on defense
to be giving away awards?
"Hope is the raw material of losers." -- Fernando Flores
I like Howard's improvement...
I am not willing to stand by him as a great player, because he did not show that…Willis hurt him with all the new schemes and stuff…McNeill had him on a good rate of improvement.
Sonier was a disappointment to me, not saying he was bad but he did not make enough improvement to warrant his pt IMHO.
Dewhurst played good football at times, but I think he has always better pretty good…
I cannot make the same distinctions that Seth does regarding freshmen and rs freshmen already getting a chance at recognition.
I like Hubert, his improvement impressed me, especially when he got to demonstrate what he could do vs Northwestern…
Living large in Texas...Texas forever.
My thought with first year players (freshmen, redshirt freshmen or JUCO) is that there’s no baseline for them to be improved because we don’t know what they are. Hubert was good, and he was better over the course of the year, but I guess I’m defining most improved from year-to-year rather than from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Also, I was basing this off of the pro leagues where the most improved player is not a rookie in any form or fashion, but a guy who has been in their respective league.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
Hard to say
I’m not a huge fan of any of these guys. I pull for them and want to support them but none seem like game changers. Fehoko had me thinking he was going to be great but he’s fairly average IMO. Lets just hope we have better talent than these guys hitting the field in 2011 or they make HUGE improvements between now and the fall.
"You've got to find your inner pirate" - Mike Leach
"We started too late" - Neal Brown
I have high expectations
for Fehoko. I think the problem last year was just that he is s . .o . . .s . . l . . o . .w . . he got exploited trying to cover running backs and slot receivers. As his responsibilities will be strictly for run support and pressuring this year, I think he will become a huge contributor.
On a side note, I’m almost excited about red zone defense . . . we shall see . . .
Fehoko
He made significant improvement and should equal that this year with close to 70 or 80 tackles, 8 TFLs and 4 sacks. He has been out of place, but it appears he is in the correct position now to where his good traits will be utilized efficiently.
TTpilk
"Never, never, never give up." Winston Churchill
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