Hodges Wins Aggie Heart Award at Annual Football Banquet
Apr 15, 2011 | Football
April 15, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Michael Hodges, a senior linebacker from Helotes, Texas, was the heart and soul of the Texas A&M defense and he was named the Aggie Heart Award winner, the highest honor for a Texas A&M senior football player. The award was presented at the annual Texas A&M football banquet held Friday in The Zone Club at Kyle Field to honor the 2010 Aggie football team and especially the senior class.
The Heart Award is presented to a senior who has completed his eligibility and displays the intangibles such as effort, desire, determination, competitiveness, leadership and courage. The Aggie Heart Award winner is the player who extends himself to the fullest every time he wears his football gear, regardless of the situation, be it in practice or a game. All of the awards, including the Heart Award, are voted upon by the players of the football team.
"Michael was the heart and soul of our defense and a great leader," Aggie head football coach Mike Sherman said. "From coming to Texas A&M as a walkon and now leaving as an Academic All-American, Michael has played such a key role in leading our team to a share of the Big 12 South Championship. In everything he does, and each and every day, he gives his all and that is why he will be a success in whatever he pursues. He is very deserving of this honor."
Hodges, the AT&T Cotton Bowl Scholar-Athlete, was a first-team ESPN Academic All-America selection by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and a two-time All-Academic Big 12 selection. The O'Connor High School product walked on to the Aggie football team in the spring of 2008. At the end of the 2009 spring drills, Hodges suffered a torn ACL and yet came back in the fall of 2009 to earn honorable mention All-Big 12 honors and started nine games. Last fall as a senior leader, Hodges started every game earning second-team All-Big 12 honors and led the Aggies in tackles despite being injured in the bowl game against LSU. He earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors twice with 14 tackles over Nebraska and a career-best 19 stops against Oklahoma, and also recorded 13 tackles in the Thanksgiving victory over Texas in Austin.
Though small in numbers, the senior class of 2010 for Aggie football provided great leadership and ranks among the best group of seniors in school history. Playing the NCAA's toughest schedule, the Aggies finished 9-4 on the season and 6-2 in Big 12 play to earn a share of the 2010 Big 12 South Division championship, the first division crown for Texas A&M since 1998. The seniors helped the Aggies finish the month of November in 2010 with a perfect 4-0 record, the first time since 1997 for that feat to be achieved, with wins over Oklahoma, Baylor, Nebraska and Texas. The seniors played in three bowl games in four years.
Seniors from the club include: Matt Allen (Spring, TX), Cody Beyer (San Antonio, TX), Don Bishop (Katy, TX), Kenny Brown (Oklahoma City, OK), Chris Caflisch (San Antonio, TX), Michael Hodges (Helotes, TX), Jerrod Johnson (Humble, TX), Terrence McCoy (Midland, TX), Von Miller (DeSoto, TX), Lucas Patterson (Kingsville, TX), DeMaurier Thompson (Dallas, TX), and Anthony Vela (Round Rock, TX).
The defensive MVP and defensive captain was none other than Von Miller, a senior from DeSoto, who was named the 2010 Butkus Award winner and earned All-America honors for the second consecutive season. Miller led the Big 12 in sacks for the second straight year and is projected to be one of the first players selected in the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft.
The offensive MVP was another DeSoto product, junior running back Cyrus Gray. Gray finished the season with 1,133 rushing yards, the eighth-best season by an Aggie running back and the first 1,000-yard rusher since Courtney Lewis in 2003. Gray closed the 2010 season with seven straight 100-yard games and the school-record is 10 straight 100-yard rushing games by Darren Lewis in 1988.
Jerrod Johnson was the offensive team captain for the second straight year. The Humble High School product's leadership was outstanding his entire career but the class, dignity and respect he displayed his senior season is unparalleled in A&M annals. He also leaves Texas A&M with two Big 12 records and 24 school records, including the all-time leading total offense leader (8,888) as well as the career leader in passing yards (8,011), completions (650) and touchdowns (67).
The special teams MVP was junior defensive back Coryell Judie from Marlin. Judie returned 20 kickoffs for an average of 30.2 per return including two touchdowns on successive weeks against Oklahoma and Baylor. No other A&M kick returner has returned touchdowns in two straight games. Judie was named the National Kickoff Returner of the Week as well as earning Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors after the Oklahoma contest.
The special teams captain was senior Terrence McCoy from Midland. McCoy has been a leader and key performer on most every special teams unit throughout his four-year playing career. The wide receiver also caught nine balls and one touchdown his senior season.
A couple of spring awards presented since the banquet is coming toward the end of spring drills included the most improved offensive, defensive and special teams players. Allen High School product sophomore wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu was named the most improved on the offensive side of the ball. Junior defensive back Trent Hunter, from Katy, was selected on the defensive side and redshirt freshman Clay Honeycutt from Dickinson High School has made tremendous strides in all areas of the special teams.
Andrew Wolridge, a sophomore former defensive lineman from Lexington who has moved to the fullback position, was honored by the team nutritionist for his weight loss. Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Ivan Robinson from Longville, Louisiana, was also honored for his hard work with nutrition and in the weight room to change his body composition.
Aggie sophomore defensive back Dustin Harris from Livingston was presented an academic effort achievement award.
Junior running back Cyrus Gray and sophomore linebacker Caleb Russell from Midlothian were honored by football head strength and conditioning coach Dave Kennedy for their work in the weight room.
Just before the Aggie Heart Award was presented, head coach Jerrod Johnson. This award is voted upon by the Aggie coaching staff and is presented to a senior who has completed his eligibility and who represented the foundation and cornerstones on which Texas A&M Football is established--integrity with mental toughness, respect, trust and loyalty. The winner has inspired the coaching staff and his teammates through a career of service, both on and off of the field, and has given more to the Aggie football program than he takes away.
Friday also marked Aggie Ring Day on the Texas A&M campus with 10 Texas A&M football players receiving their Aggie senior rings: Terrence McCoy, Von Miller, Matt Sherman, Kolten Thigpen, and Ken Wood.
2011 AGGIE FOOTBALL BANQUET HONOREES:
| Heart Award: | Michael Hodges, Sr., LB, Helotes, TX |
| Coaches' Choice Award: | Jerrod Johnson, Sr., QB, Humble, TX |
| Offensive MVP: | Cyrus Gray, Jr., RB, DeSoto, TX |
| Offensive Captain: | Jerrod Johnson, Sr., QB, Humble, TX |
| Defensive MVP: | Von Miller, Sr., Joker, DeSoto, TX |
| Defensive Captain: | Von Miller, Sr., Joker, DeSoto, TX |
| Special Teams MVP: | Coryell Judie, Jr., Marlin, TX |
| Special Teams Captain: | Terrence McCoy, Sr., Midland, TX |
| SPRING AWARDS | |
| Offensive Most Improved: | Uzoma Nwachukwu, So., WR, Allen, TX |
| Defensive Most Improved: | Trent Hunter, Jr., DB, Katy, TX |
| Special Teams Improved: | Clay Honeycutt, Fr., Dickinson, TX |
| Academic Effort: | Dustin Harris, So., DB, Livingston, TX |
| Strength & Conditioning Awards: | Cyrus Gray, Jr., RB, DeSoto, TX Caleb Russell, So., Joker, Midlothian, TX |
| Nutrition Awards: | Ivan Robinson, Fr., DL, Longville, LA Andrew Wolridge, So., FB, Lexington, TX |
