1.10.2009

J.Pike's Ballot: Arrington Trophy

This was a very tough call. I went through bowl season trying to decide who to give my vote to for the top defensive player of the year. I ended up on Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich because at the end of the day he was more consistently harassing to opposing offenses than the beast-man Brian Orakpo.

Orakpo's 11.5 sacks and imposing physical presence made him a strong candidate, but Herzlich was in on seemingly every BC tackle made in 2008. If you watched one Boston College game this year, you heard his name at least ten times, and you probably saw him make a game changing play.

The most impressive aspect of Herzlich is his versatility. He made 110 tackles, 13 coming behind the line of scrimmage; he also happens to be one of the best cover-LBs in the nation, tallying a team leading 6 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He was even a menace on special teams.






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