Sweeney wins Robert Hill Johnson Award; Football team announces team awards
Senior quarterback Lee Sweeney received the prestigious Robert Hill Johnson Award and six other teammates accepted honors Sunday afternoon as the Tennessee Tech football squad was recognized at the team’s 2010 Awards Dinner.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Senior quarterback Lee Sweeney
received the prestigious Robert Hill Johnson Award and six other
teammates accepted honors Sunday afternoon as the Tennessee Tech
football squad was recognized at the team’s 2010 Awards
Dinner.
Sadly, head coach Watson Brown was not able to attend the event
after his mother, Katherine, passed away earlier in the day.
“All of us will keep coach Brown and his entire family in
our thoughts and prayers,” said Director of Athletics Mark
Wilson. “He looked forward to this event, but this is a
reminder to all of us that life is so much bigger than
football.”
The coaching staff handed out four long-standing awards plus three
new honors after the Golden Eagles posted a 6-5 overall record in
2009, including an undefeated 3-0 mark against the three Tennessee
schools in the Ohio Valley Conference to capture the Sgt. York
Trophy. Tech also posted a perfect 5-0 record at home in Tucker
Stadium and had a winning record of 5-3 in conference play.
Taron Ryce received the Sonny Allen Leadership Award, Derrian
Waters accepted the Tech Pride Award, and Brendon Fisher the Unsung
Hero Award. Brown and his staff established four new awards,
including the Offensive Player of the Year that went Tim Benford,
Defensive Player of the Year to Dustin Dillehay, and Special Teams
Player of the Year to Josh Paz.
The Dog Daggett Most Improved Player Award, named in memory of the
team equipment manager who passed away in November, will be
selected at the conclusion of spring drills.
.
Sweeney, a product of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., was a four-year starter
at quarterback for the Golden Eagles and set numerous single-game,
season and career records while ranking among the top all-time
passers in OVC history. Among his career records were most passing
yards, most passing touchdowns, most completions, most yards of
total offense and most touchdowns responsible for.
Sweeney is the sixth quarterback to win the RHJ Award, but only
the second signal-caller in 40 seasons to be selected. The only
other since 1972 was Grant Swallows in 2001, who was at
Sunday’s dinner. The last quarterback prior to that was Jim
Waddell in 1971.
The Sonny Allen Leadership Award went to senior cornerback Taron
Ryce from Harvest, Ala. The only senior starter in a young Golden
Eagle secondary, Ryce was second on the team with nine passes
defended and also contributed 56 total tackles, two
tackles-for-loss, two quarterback sacks, and two interceptions.
Ryce finished his career with 201 total tackles, 33 passes defended
and six interceptions.
For Waters, a fifth-year senior from Franklin, Tenn., it marked
back-to-back Tech Pride Awards. Waters came into the year as the
starter at a linebacker position but suffered a knee injury in the
season-opener against Pikeville. He worked hard to rehab his
injured knee and returned to the field for the final game of the
season, scoring a touchdown in Tech’s win over Murray
State.
He is only the third player to repeat as the winner of the Tech
Pride Award, joining D.J. Bleisath in 2000 and 2001, and Sam Brooks
in 1988 and 1990.
Brendon Fisher, a senior from Tallahassee, Fla., took home the
Unsung Hero Award, in recognition of his substantial contributions
to the team. A three-year start and team co-captain, Fisher
registered 35 total tackles, six tackles-or-loss, two quarterback
sacks, one interception and two passes defended.
Wide receiver Tim Benford was named the Offensive Player of the
Year. A sophomore from Chattanooga, Benford led Tech with 33
receptions for 580 yards and two touchdowns on his way to earning
first-team all-OVC honors. Benford caught the game-winning
touchdown pass in Tech’s 20-13 win over Tennessee State that
clinched the York Trophy.
Dustin Dillehay, a junior from Hartsville, Tenn., claimed the
Defensive Player of the Year award, a tribute to his hard work,
determination and team-first attitude. Dillehay led the team with
78 total tackles and also had three interceptions, two
tackles-for-loss and four passes defended. Dillehay was named OVC
and National Defensive Player of the Week after his late-game
interception return for touchdown helped Tech defeat UT Martin in
another key York Trophy contest.
The Special Teams Player of the Year honor went to junior Josh Paz
of McMinnville, Tenn. He played on all four of Tech’s special
teams and finished with 24 total tackles covering kickoffs and
punts. He played on more than 200 plays on special teams in
addition to lining up at safety on defense. On kick returns he
graded out over 94 percent and on punt returns over 92 percent.
The 2008 and 2009 seniors were also recognized at the dinner. The
2008 seniors included Scott Eller, John Ross Hudson, Jake Kiser,
Maurice Smith, Pete Taylor and Bradley Thompson. The 2009 seniors
were Taylor Askew, Derek Dickerson, Brendon Fisher, Brandon Harris,
Josh Paz, Kelvin Quarles, Taron Ryce, Calvin Smith, Lee Sweeney,
Derrian Waters and Cedric Wilkerson.
Shown in the photo above, from left: Dustin Dillehay, Taron Ryce,
Brendon Fisher, Lee Sweeney, Derrian Waters, Josh Paz and Tim
Benford.
