This is the first annual "Double-T Nation's Post Season Awards". The categories which the DTN community will be nominating and voting are as follows: Offensive Rookie of the Year; Defensive Rookie of the Year; Most Improved Offensive Player; Most Improved Defensive Player; Special Teams Player of the Year; Offensive Player of the Year; Defensive Player of the Year; and Most Valuable Player.
I'd also ask that you not vote for Leach. I appreciate your loyalty, but I was trying to do something for the players. There are 20 different posts where you can discuss how pissed you are that Leach isn't here, but you'd be doing me a solid if you could play along.
The qualification for rookie of the year, both offensive and defensive, is that the player must either be a true freshman, redshirt freshman or the player's first year from junior college.
I'd have to imagine that redshirt freshman S Cody Davis is the clear cut favorite. Davis finished second on the team with 81 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and 6 passes defended. Considering the shoes he was filling, a pretty remarkable feat.
True freshman S Will Ford burst onto the scene fairly early in the season and finished with 22 tackles, 1 interception and 2 passes defended. Fellow true freshman CB D.J. Johnson was a relative unknown coming into Lubbock. Johnson went to a small private school in Austin, but immediately impressed the staff with his athleticism and played mainly in the nickel position for most of the year. Johnson finiished the year with 24 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 7 passes defended.