Zaven Collins is a first team AP All-American.
AP 1st Team All-American
- Thread starter HuffyCane
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Only took us a 30 year hiatus to have one in the program. Shows you how much hiring the wrong coach can tank your program.
Well, there's only been five in the history of the program, so it's just not happening often no matter the coach.
Zaven Collins Named AP First-Team All-American
NEW YORK, NY –– The University of Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins received first-team Associated Press All-America honors, it was announced today. The last first-team AP All-American for Tulsa was offensive lineman Jerry Ostroski in 1991.
Last week, Collins earned the award for the nation’s top defensive player when he was named the 2020 Bronko Nagurski Trophy award-winner.
At 6’4”, 260 pounds, Collins has become one of the most dynamic defenders in college football. He has totaled 54 tackles, 11.5 TFLs for minus 49 yards, four sacks for minus 25 yards, four interceptions for 152 return yards, two TDs off INTs, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, as well as one safety, in eight games. Two of Collins’ interceptions were game-clinchers, including a pickoff against No. 19 SMU that ended any possible final scoring drive for the Mustangs and his pick-6 in overtime against Tulane that he took 96 yards for the game-winning score.
Collins was unanimously chosen as the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to earn unanimous player-of-the-year honors, and also receiving unanimous first-team all-AAC accolades.
Throughout the season, Collins earned AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors four out of seven weeks and was a three-time National Defensive Player of the Week selection. In four games against top-25 opponents this season –– #11 Oklahoma State, #11 UCF, #19 SMU and #6 Cincinnati –– Collins had 25 solo tackles among his 35 total stops and 10 TFL’s for minus 45 yards, four sacks and two interceptions.
Other Tulsa players earning Associated Press first-team All-America honors were Glenn Dobbs (1942), Marvin Matuszak (1951, ’52) and Howard Twilley (1965).
NEW YORK, NY –– The University of Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins received first-team Associated Press All-America honors, it was announced today. The last first-team AP All-American for Tulsa was offensive lineman Jerry Ostroski in 1991.
Last week, Collins earned the award for the nation’s top defensive player when he was named the 2020 Bronko Nagurski Trophy award-winner.
At 6’4”, 260 pounds, Collins has become one of the most dynamic defenders in college football. He has totaled 54 tackles, 11.5 TFLs for minus 49 yards, four sacks for minus 25 yards, four interceptions for 152 return yards, two TDs off INTs, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, as well as one safety, in eight games. Two of Collins’ interceptions were game-clinchers, including a pickoff against No. 19 SMU that ended any possible final scoring drive for the Mustangs and his pick-6 in overtime against Tulane that he took 96 yards for the game-winning score.
Collins was unanimously chosen as the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to earn unanimous player-of-the-year honors, and also receiving unanimous first-team all-AAC accolades.
Throughout the season, Collins earned AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors four out of seven weeks and was a three-time National Defensive Player of the Week selection. In four games against top-25 opponents this season –– #11 Oklahoma State, #11 UCF, #19 SMU and #6 Cincinnati –– Collins had 25 solo tackles among his 35 total stops and 10 TFL’s for minus 45 yards, four sacks and two interceptions.
Other Tulsa players earning Associated Press first-team All-America honors were Glenn Dobbs (1942), Marvin Matuszak (1951, ’52) and Howard Twilley (1965).
The GREAT Zaven Collins. Congrats! Just an unbelievable accomplishment for a Tulsa football player!
How does a player win the Bronco Nagurski Award as the nations best defensive player and fail to make the Top 10 in Heisman consideration?
The Heisman is a joke. It used to go to the best player in college football. For that last 10 years or so, it goes to the best player on the best team.
Congratulations to Zaven, Monty and the team. If I'm right that the other 5 were all offensive players, Z is the first AA defensive player. Another thought: this would not have happened without the AAC TV exposure on ESPN. All of Z's big plays were on ESPN and many were replayed constantly. His pick 6 to beat Tulane went (i hate to use this word in 2020) viral. And, I'm convinced that if he hadn't left the OSU game in the 3rd with cramps, TU would have won that game as well.
A BFD for the University and the Athletic program. Surely TU can waive the rules to have him into the Athletic HOF next year? I watched the Heisman top 10 program and was stunned he didn't make it. I'm recalling only one player outside of the P6, the BYU QB, and no defensive players. I might be wrong about that.
A BFD for the University and the Athletic program. Surely TU can waive the rules to have him into the Athletic HOF next year? I watched the Heisman top 10 program and was stunned he didn't make it. I'm recalling only one player outside of the P6, the BYU QB, and no defensive players. I might be wrong about that.
He'll likely end up drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry needs LBs badly, and he's actually a fan of Tulsa's FB program. Remember Wacasey???
The Heisman is getting to be like the Nobel prize. A meaningless popularity contest.
Post of the Century so far!!!! Congrats.
NPP is more of a joke than a useless Grammy Award.
Elvis won 3 Grammy awards in his lifetime. All 3 were for gospel albums.... Not like the guy did anything remotely remarkable for rock and roll or pop music.... The CFP is equally a joke. They showed a bunch of middle aged, unathletic white guys slouched down in their chairs watching championship week the other day... Wonder how many snaps or reps those guys played in their lifetimes.
Ronnie Lott saw a few snaps. So did Ken Hatfield at Arkansas as well. The chair won two or three rings at NDSU. Joe Castiglione from OU played at Maryland I think. RC Slocum coached for three decades and played at the FCS level. John Ursch is on it. He was an all American for Paterno. It’s a good mix of players, community leaders, and ADs. It’s a lot better system than 100 dudes wearing pastel sports coats back slapping teams to come to the Tangerine Bowl or Flamingo Classic like years past. In 2005 I was offered a place on the Citrus Bowl committee in exchange for a guaranteed $5,000 donation and a promise I would get that money back traveling to various SEC games for free to court teams. I passed. I had no business deciding who goes where. These folks do though.
