Wahooze 2009 Season Awards

It was a terrible season, but that doesn't mean we didn't have some standout performances. I want to take some time to honor a few of the players from this year's team before we plow head-first into the coaching search. So here are the Wahooze 2009 Season Awards...

Player of the Year: Nate Collins
Collins emerged from afterthought status after sliding over from nose tackle to start opposite Matt Conrath at end. Many people worried that Collins would be too slow or too big at defensive end. Instead, he proved all of his critics wrong and likely elevated his stock to the middle rounds of the 2010 NFL draft. He applied great pressure in the backfield, and stepped forward as UVA's emotional leader and best player on the defensive side of the ball. He single-handedly won the Maryland game with the touchdown he scored (pictured above) in the mud and the slop. His stats for the season: 77 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 6 sacks, and an interception return for a TD. Great stuff for a 3-4 defensive end.

Offensive Player of the Year: Rashawn Jackson
Ask any UVA fan and they'll tell you --- the Ra-Ra Bus never got enough touches. His power and determination between the tackles was the one reliable staple of the offense. His clutch receiving ability out of the backfield was an underutilized weapon. 96 carries for 461 yards, 4.8 yards per carry average, 2 rushing TDs, 25 receptions for 222 yards, 8.9 yards per reception.

Defensive Player of the Year (other than Collins): Chris Cook
Ras-I Dowling got all the hype, but it was Cook who was usually the most effective player in the secondary. He also did a great job in run support. 40 tackles, 4 INTs, and 6 passes broken up.

Special Teams Player of the Year: Robert Randolph
It's nice to have a kicker we can count on once again. And since the special teams play as a whole was downright atrocious (and the area in which our new coach can make the most easy and immediate improvements), Randolph wins this award by default. 17/19 field goals, with both misses coming in bad weather and with bad snaps and/or holds, long of 49 yards, 6/6 PATs.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tim Smith
Smith really emerged as one of our most explosive and best downfield threats in the passing game. If we had received any sort of quarterbacking or pass protection, his stats could have been doubled or tripled. I assume Smith will be a critical part of our offense as we move forward with the new coaching regime. 15 receptions for 204 yards, 13.6 yards per reception, 2 TDs.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Steve Greer
Greer lived up to the hype as a "more athletic version of Jon Copper." He led the team in tackles, and made a lot of impact plays from his ILB position. 92 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 1 sack, 3 passes broken up.

Most Improved Player: Kris Burd
Expectations were high for guys like Javaris Brown, Jared Green, and Tim Smith at wide receiver, and Burd was pretty much an afterthought. Instead, Burd bullied his way into the starting lineup and led the team in receiving. He emerged as a reliable possession receiver with good hands, good body control, and good leaping ability. Best of all, he provided very good downfield blocking. I'm truly excited about the future potential of the Burd/Smith receiving tandem. 31 receptions for 413 yards, 13.3 yards per reception, 1 TD.


Congratulations to the seniors and to Ras-I if he elects to go pro (which would, in my opinion, be a colossal mistake.) I have total faith that next year will be a much better one for Virginia Football.