Johnson & Miller named Players of the Year in the Big 12 Conference

July 22, 2010

DALLAS, Texas--Texas A&M's Jerrod Johnson was named the Offensive Player of the Year and Von Miller was named the Co-Defensive Player of the Year as the Big 12 Conference announced its preseason All-Big 12 team as selected by media representatives who cover the league.
           
Aggie senior quarterback Jerrod Johnson, from Humble, Texas, has already earned his degree in kinesiology and was a consensus All-Big 12 second-team quarterback selection last fall when he led the Big 12 in total offense with 314.2 yards per game. Johnson was 296-of-497 for 3,579 yards with 30 touchdowns and only eight picks last fall. He also rushed for a net of 506 yards and eight additional touchdowns.
           
"I appreciate the media selecting me with this honor," Johnson said. "I am sure they understand on the offensive side of the ball it is all about 11 guys executing properly. We've got some talented guys on offense and we did pretty well last year, but we need to be more consistent this year."
           
The 6-5, 245-pound righthander set a Big 12 record with 225 straight passes without an interception to open the 2009 season and his overall streak dated back to 2008 included 242 pass attempts without an interception.
           
Miller, a senior from DeSoto, was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year along with Nebraska defensive lineman Jared Crick.  
           
"This is very cool but I've got to continue to work hard," Miller said. "In addition to getting closer to my degree, I want to go out my senior year with Jerrod and the other seniors with a championship. Individual awards are nice, but the team is most important."
           
Miller, 6-3 and 243 pounds, led the nation in sacks last fall with 17 and earned first-team All-America honors as well as first-team All-Big 12 accolades. Miller's position is called the Joker position in the new 3-4 alignment.
           
In addition to Johnson and Miller being selected to the preseason All-Big 12 squad, junior wide receiver Jeff Fuller and kickoff return specialist Cyrus Gray were also named to the preseason squad.
           
Despite missing four games with an injury, Fuller caught 41 passes and led the Aggies with seven touchdown receptions last fall. The 6-4, 215-pound wide receiver from Boyd High School in McKinney has caught a pass in every game he has played at Texas A&M, 20 straight contests.
           
Gray, a 5-10, 198-pound junior who hails from DeSoto High School, already owns the single season school record for kickoff return yardage (1,169 yards in 2008) as well as the career mark with 1,811 kickoff return yards. Gray had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last year against Colorado and as a freshman took one back 98 yards against Oklahoma.
           
"These preseason honors are nice but each of our players understands the importance of working hard and preparing," Aggie head football coach Mike Sherman said. "Nothing is going to be given to them, they have to earn it. I am excited about our overall team."

2010 Media Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team

Offensive Player of the Year:	Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M (QB, 6-5, 243, Sr/3L, Humble, Texas)
Defensive Co-Players of the Year:	Jared Crick, Nebraska (DL, 6-6, 285, Jr, 2L, Cozad, Neb.) and Von Miller, Texas A&M (DE/LB, 6-3, 240, Sr/3L, DeSoto, Texas)
Newcomer of the Year:	Toney Clemons, Colorado (WR, 6-2, 205, Jr/TR, New Kensington, Pa.)

Offense
Pos	Name	School	Ht	Wt	Cl/Exp	Hometown
WR	Ryan Broyles#	Oklahoma	5-11	183	Jr/2L	Norman, Okla.
TE	Mike McNeill	Nebraska	6-4	235	Sr/3L	Kirkwood, Mo.
OL	Nate Solder*	Colorado	6-9	300	Sr/3L	Buena Vista, Colo.
OL	Ryan Miller	Colorado	6-8	310	Jr/3L	Littleton, Colo.
C	Tim Barnes	Missouri	6-4	310	Sr/3L	Longwood, Mo.
OL	Tanner Hawkinson	Kansas	6-6	293	So/1L	McPherson, Kan.
OL	Stephen Good	Oklahoma	6-6	299	Jr/2L	Paris, Texas
OL	Kyle Hix	Texas	6-7	325	Sr/3L	Aledo, Texas
WR	Jeff Fuller	Texas A&M	6-4	215	Jr/2L	McKinney, Texas
QB	Jerrod Johnson#	Texas A&M	6-5	243	Sr/3L	Humble, Texas
RB	Daniel Thomas*	Kansas State	6-2	228	Sr/1L	Hilliard, Fla.
RB	DeMarco Murray^#	Oklahoma	6-1	207	Sr/3L	Las Vegas, Nev.
PK	Alex Henery^#	Nebraska	6-2	175	Sr/3L	Omaha, Neb.
KR	Cyrus Gray	Texas A&M	5-10	196	Jr/2L	DeSoto, Texas
Defense
DL	Aldon Smith	Missouri	6-5	255	So/1L	Raytown, Mo.
DL	Jared Crick*	Nebraska	6-6	285	Jr/2L	Cozad, Neb.
DL	Jeremy Beal#	Oklahoma	6-3	267	Sr/3L	Carrollton, Texas
DL	Sam Acho	Texas	6-3	260	Sr/3L	Dallas, Texas
LB	Travis Lewis^*	Oklahoma	6-2	232	Jr/2L	San Antonio, Texas
LB	Keenan Robinson	Texas	6-3	239	Jr/2L	Plano, Texas
LB	Von Miller*	Texas A&M	6-3	240	Sr/3L	DeSoto, Texas
LB	Brian Duncan	Texas Tech	6-1	240	Sr/3L	Baton Rouge, La.
DB	Prince Amukamara*	Nebraska	6-1	205	Sr/3L	Glendale, Ariz.
DB	Quinton Carter#	Oklahoma	6-1	200	Sr/3L	Las Vegas, Nev.
DB	Aaron Williams	Texas	6-1	195	Jr/2L	Round Rock, Texas
DB	Curtis Brown	Texas	6-0	184	Sr/3L	Gilmer, Texas
DB	Blake Gideon	Texas	6-1	205	Jr/2L	Leander, Texas
P	Derek Epperson*	Baylor	6-3	235	Sr/3L	Southlake, Texas
PR	Ryan Broyles^	Oklahoma	5-11	178	Jr/2L	Norman, Okla.

^ 2009 Preseason Team
1 2009 All-Big 12 First Team selection
2 2009 All-Big 12 Second Team selection

Ties in voting created an additional spot at offensive line, defensive back and linebacker.
Unanimous selections: DL - Jared Crick (NU) and Jeremy Beal (OU); LB - Travis Lewis (OU)

**ADDITIONAL TEXAS A&M NOTE: The last preseason All-Big 12 Player of the Year was Dat Nguyen, 1998 preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Nguyen went on to win the Lombardi Award and the Bednarik Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year Award as well as earning All-America honors and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors at the end of the '98 season. Nguyen is currently the inside linebackers coach at Texas A&M after playing and coaching with the Dallas Cowboys.