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Football Hands Out Postseason Awards

Football Hands Out Postseason AwardsFootball Hands Out Postseason Awards

Dec. 9, 2010

CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati football team handed out its postseason honors Thursday, as the team celebrated the 2010 campaign inside the Tangeman University Center on the UC campus.

Wide receiver Armon Binns (Pasadena, Calif./Pasadena) earned the Claude Rost MVP Award. Binns caught 75 balls for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, all team highs. The First-Team all-BIG EAST Conference selection is the seventh UC receiver all-time to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau in a single season. He had six 100-yard receiving games this season and had 10 or more receptions on two occasions. Binns was also named the team's most valuable receiver.

Offensive lineman Alex Hoffman (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) won the C-Club Strothman Award for Academic Excellence for the second-straight year. Hoffman, who started 10 games at right guard and right tackle this season, carries a 3.413 GPA in his biological sciences major.

Tight end Travis Kelce (Cleveland Hts., Ohio/Cleveland Hts.) and defensive lineman Camaron Beard (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) were named the Offensive and Defensive Scout Team Players of the Year, respectively.

Linebacker Collin McCafferty (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) earned the Special Teams Player of the Year award.

Jake Rogers (Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw) took home the Specialist of the Year honor. Rogers became the school's career leader in points scored and points scored by kicking with 339. He closes out his UC career as the holder of five school records. He has scored 339 points, passing former Lou Groza Award winner Jonathan Ruffin (1999-2002) for the top spot. Rogers already holds the school marks for extra points made (186), extra points attempted (195), and points scored by kicking (339). He sits second in field goals made (51).

Quarterback Zach Collaros (Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville) and running back Isaiah Pead (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy) split the Brig Owens Outstanding Offensive Back honor.

Collaros, a unanimous First Team all-BIG EAST selection, made 11 starts, missing one game due to injury. He was 225-of-383 for 2,902 yards and 26 touchdowns. He led the BIG EAST in passing yards per game (263.8), total passing yards (2,902), total offense (282.2), and was third in pass efficiency (137.5).

Pead, a Second Team all-BIG EAST honoree, rushed for 1,029 yards and six touchdowns on 157 attempts, despite missing almost two full games due to injury. He ranked third in the league in rushing, but led the conference for the second-straight year with his 6.6 yards per carry average. That average ranks him in the top-10 of all running backs nationally.

Safety Drew Frey (Wilmington, Ohio/Clinton-Massie) was named the outstanding defensive back. Frey made 52 tackles, three passes defended, one pass break up, and tied for the team lead with two interceptions.

Offensive lineman Jason Kelce (Cleveland Hts., Ohio/Cleveland Hts.) and defensive lineman Derek Wolfe (Lisbon, Ohio/Beaver Local) were named the John Pease Outstanding Lineman winners.

Kelce was a Second-Team all-BIG EAST performer who made the switch to center from guard late in camp and did not miss a beat. He made 11 starts and helped pave the way for UC's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2004, Pead.

Wolfe was an anchor on the defensive front, with 48 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks.

The Most Valuable Linebacker Award went to junior J.K. Schaffer (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle). Schaffer, a Second-Team all-BIG EAST selection, led the defense with his 111 tackles and 67 solo stops. It was the second-straight 100-tackle campaign for the junior. He also added 9.5 tackles for a loss; five pass break ups, three sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception, and quarterback hurry.

The two recipients for the 2010 Jim Kelly `Hold the Rope' Award were C.J. Cobb (Jacksonville, Fla./Sandalwood) on offense and Walter Stewart (Ashville, Ohio/Teays Valley) on defense. The award is given to two players each you who best represent the ideals of former UC letterwinner, administrator, and coach Jim Kelly Sr.

Cobb started all 12 games at right guard and right tackle after battling back from a pair of serious injuries just to get on the field.

Stewart, who started every game at linebacker or rush end, was fourth on the team with 60 tackles, and also added eight tackles for a loss, two sacks, four quarterback hurries, and a forced fumble and recovery. The sophomore spent time playing two positions this season due to some depth issues on defense.

John Goebel (Milford, Mich./Brother Rice) grabbed the Glenn Sample `Represent the C' Community Service Award. It's presented annually to the UC player who makes the biggest impact in the Cincinnati community through the year. Past winners include former UC standouts Dustin Grutza and Mardy Gilyard.

2010 UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI FOOTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS