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Aug. 11, 2010

Senior DE Sam Acho has been named to the watch list for the 2010 Hendricks Award, honoring the nation's top defensive end, the Ted Hendricks Foundation has announced.

Acho has played in 38 career games, starting 14, and posted 89 tackles (59 solo), 14.5 sacks, 20 TFL, 26 pressures, seven PBD, four fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. He is already a member of the prestigious Playboy Preseason All-America team for 2010 and is a member of the 2010 Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defensive player), Lombardi Award (nation's top lineman), Lott Trophy (nation's top defensive IMPACT player) and Outland Trophy (nation’s top interior lineman) preseason watch lists. 
 

A semifinalist for the Lott Trophy and an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2009, Acho helped UT rank 12th nationally in scoring defense (16.7 ppg), third in total defense (251.9 ypg) and first in rushing defense (72.4 ypg), while starting all 14 games. He tallied 63 tackles (44 solo), 14 TFL, 10 sacks, 15 pressures, three PBD, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. He led the team in sacks (10) and fumble recoveries (four). The 10 sacks were tied for 20th on the NCAA list and the four fumble recoveries tied for the most nationally (t-No. 3 UT single-season).

Off the field, Acho was a 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, a two-time Academic All-District 6 selection, a two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and a five-time member of UT's Athletics Director's Honor Roll. He was the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Award, which is a national award recognizing minority student-athletes in 2009 and 2010.

Acho also has been very active in the community. He has joined his family on several medical mission trips to Nigeria, volunteers time to special events for local homeless shelters, participated in UT's Orange Santa program and is part of a group of Longhorns that regularly visits patients at the Dell Children's Medical Center. Acho is a member of the UT Friar Society, UT's Student Advisory Council, served as one of UT's representatives at the Big 12's Conference on Black Student Government and was UT's representative at the 2009 NCAA Leadership Conference.

Texas has had one winner of the Hendricks Award in Brian Orkapo in 2008, and three finalists, including Orakpo, Tim Crowder in 2006 and Sergio Kindle in 2009.

Now in its ninth season, the Ted Hendricks Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time first-team All-American. As a defensive end at the University of Miami, Hendricks used his agility, height and reach to block passes and kicks, force interceptions and pressure quarterbacks and running backs.

His professional career spanned 15 years and 215 consecutive games.  It included four Super Bowl victories, eight Pro Bowl selections and inductions into the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.  It is in the spirit of Ted Hendricks’ aggressive style of play, winning attitude and determination that the Defensive End of the Year Award for college football’s premier defensive end is presented.



On-field performance, winning attitude, leadership abilities, contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the award’s winner. Members of the national media, head coaches, professional scouts and former winners are included in the award’s voting committee. Candidates may represent any class, as well as any four-year NCAA accredited school.  The candidate’s primary position must be defensive end.

A Final Mid-Season Watch List will issued in November. Players may be added or deleted in that time. The 2010 winner will be announced on December 8.