Twenty-Seven Players Honored In 2002

BOULDER - As of December 22, a total of 27 players along with head coach Gary Barnett have been recognized with honors for Colorado's 2002 season, ranging from CU's team awards to first-team All-American. Junior RB Chris Brown has had 20 awards thus far given his way ranging from first-team All-American to the team's Zach Jordan Award for most valuable player.

P Mark Mariscal earned seven different first-team All-America honors and won the Ray Guy Award for the nation's best punter, while KR's Jeremy Bloom and Roderick Sneed, DE Tyler Brayton and OG Wayne Lucier also garnered All-America nods by at least one publication.

Lucier led the way academically along with OT Justin Bates. Lucier earned Academic All-District and Academic All-Big 12 honors while Bates took home CU's Dean Jacob Van Ek Award for academic excellence. A total of seven players earned Academic All-Big 12 Awards while 16 of their teammates earned All-Big 12 honors on the field.

Barnett was recognized as the Big 12 Coach of the Year and Brown was recognized as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year by two publications each while J.J. Billingsley and Bloom both earned Freshman All-America Honors. Bloom and Brown were also honored by the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame with Athlete of the Year honors in the State of Colorado. Sixteen Buffs also earned a winning performance and/or productive grade by the coaches at least nine times in CU's Victory Club.

A breakdown of the year's award winners:

Gary Barnett - Big 12 Coach of the Year (collegefootballnews.com, Kansas City Star)
Justin Bates - All-Big 12 (first team by Associated Press, Big 12 Coaches, collegefootballnews.com; second team by Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Kansas City Star); Dean Jacob Van Ek Award (CU, academic excellence); Best Interview (CU, selected by media); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
J.J. Billingsley - Freshman All-American (first team by The Sporting News); Freshman All-Big 12 (first team by The Sporting News); Lombardi Award (preliminary watch list candidate); Lee Willard Award (CU, outstanding freshman) ; CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Jeremy Bloom - All-America (honorable mention at kick returner by collegefootballnews.com); Freshman All-American (third team at kick returner by The Sporting News); Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Amateur Athlete of the Year
Tyler Brayton - All-America (third team by The Sporting News); All-Big 12 (first team by collegefootballnews.com, The Sporting News; second team by Big 12 Coaches, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; honorable mention by Associated Press); Outland Trophy (watch list candidate); Dave Jones Award (CU, outstanding defensive player); Buffalo Heart Award (CU, selected by fans behind bench); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Chris Brown - All-America (first team by AFCA; second team by Associated Press, collegefootballnews.com, The Sporting News); Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year (Big 12 Coaches, collegefootballnews.com); All-Big 12 (first team by Associated Press, Big 12 Coaches, collegefootballnews.com, Dallas Morning News, Columbia Tribune, Fort Worth Star Telegram, Kansas City Star, The Sporting News); National Player of the Week (Sept. 21 vs. UCLA, Rivals.com); Big 12 Player of the Week (offensive, Sept. 21 vs. UCLA; co-offensive vs. Kansas, Oct. 12); Heisman Trophy (eighth), Walter Camp Player of the Year (one of 10 semifinalists); Doak Walker Award (running back, runner-up); Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Collegiate Male Athlete of the Year; John Mack Award (CU, outstanding offensive player); Zach Jordan Award (CU, most valuable player)
Jason Burianek - CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Brandon Drumm - All-Big 12 (honorable mention by Big 12 Coaches); Tom McMahon Award (CU, dedication and work ethic) ; CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Zach Griffith - Academic All-Big 12 (second team)
D.J. Hackett - Academic All-Big 12 (second team); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Marwan Hage - All-Big 12 (honorable mention by Associated Press, Big 12 Coaches); Academic All-Big 12 (second team); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Marques Harris - All-Big 12 (honorable mention by Big 12 Coaches); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Robert Hodge - The Fugitive Award (CU, symbolizing "I Don't Care" attitude for benefit of team)
Phil Jackson - CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Joey Johnson - Mosi Tatupu Award (national Special Teams, on watch list)
Evan Judge - Academic All-Big 12 (second team)
Aaron Killion - Big 12 Player of the Week (special team, Nov. 16 vs. Iowa State); Tyronee "Tiger" Bussey Award (CU, perseverance over adversity, injury and/or illness)
Wayne Lucier - All-America (first team by The Sporting News); All-Big 12 (first team by Associated Press, Big 12 Coaches, collegefootballnews.com, Columbia Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Kansas City Star, The Sporting News); Academic All-District (second team); Academic All-Big 12 (first team); Lombardi Award (preliminary watch list candidate); Outland Trophy (watch list candidate); Dave Remington Award (watch list candidate); Derek Singleton Award (CU, spirit, dedication, enthusiasm); Best Interview (CU, selected by media); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Mark Mariscal - All-America (first team by Associated Press, AFCA, CNN-SI.com, collegefootballnews.com, ESPN.com, The Sporting News, Walter Camp); All-Big 12 (first-team by Associated Press, Big 12 Coaches, collegefootballnews.com, Columbia Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Kansas City Star, The Sporting News); Big 12 Player of the Week (special teams, Oct. 26 vs. Texas Tech; special teams, Nov. 29 vs. Nebraska); Ray Guy Award (winner); Miso Tutapu Award (on watch list); Bill McCartney Award (CU, special teams achievement); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Derek McCoy - All-Big 12 (honorable mention by Big 12 Coaches); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Medford Moorer - Big 12 Player of the Week (defensive, Oct. 26 vs. Texas Tech)
Kory Mossoni - All-Big 12 (honorable mention by Associated Press, Big 12 Coaches); Academic All-Big 12 (second team); Regiment Award (CU, greatest contribution with least recognition); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Gabe Nyenhuis - All-Big 12 (honorable mention by Big 12 Coaches)
Bobby Purify - All-Big 12 (honorable mention by Big 12 Coaches); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Roderick Sneed - All-America (honorable mention at kick returner by collegefootballnews.com); All-Big 12 (second team by Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Derek Stemrich - Academic All-Big 12 (second team)
Donald Strickland - All-Big 12 (second team by Associated Press, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Kansas City Star; third team by Big 12 Coaches); Jim Thorpe Award (watch list candidate); Hang Tough Award (CU, overcame the most adversity); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)
Drew Wahlroos - All-Big 12 (honorable mention by Associated Press, Big 12 Coaches); Dick Butkus Award (one of 67 preseason candidates); CU Victory Club (nine or more games with winning performance or productivity grade)