Rockets Hand Out Awards at 2014 Football Banquet
12/14/2014 10:25:00 PM | Football
TOLEDO – Senior center Greg Mancz (Cincinnati, OH) was presented with the Jim Nicholson Award at the 2014 University of Toledo Football Banquet held at the Radisson Hotel on the Health Science Campus of the University of Toledo on Sunday, Dec. 14. The Nicholson Award is given annually to the player most contributing to the team's success, and is considered the team's most prestigious award. It is voted on by the players.
Mancz is a three-time All-MAC player who also won the 2014 Vern Smith Award, given annually to the top player in the Mid-American Conference. He helped lead the Rockets to an 8-4 record and guided the offense to the No. 1 spot in the MAC in total offense (486.3) and rushing offense (247.3). He is the first Rocket to receive the Vern Smith Award since quarterback Bruce Gradkowski shared the honor with Western Michigan wide receiver Greg Jennings in 2005, and the first Rocket to win the award outright since running back Wasean Tait in 1995. He is also the first offensive lineman to earn the award in its 33-year history.
Sophomore running back Kareem Hunt (Willloughby, OH) was named the team's offense MVP. Hunt rushed for 1,360 yards and finished second in the nation in yards per carry (7.86). Junior defensive tackle Orion Jones (Tulsa, OK) earned defensive MVP honors. Jones had 10 tackles for loss, six sacks and earned second-team All-MAC honors.
Senior placekicker Jeremiah Detmer (Hilliard, OH) was the special teams MVP. He made 17-of-22 field goals, earning second-team All-MAC honors. He is the MAC's all-time leader in field-goal percentage (65-of-77/84.4%).
The complete list of award winners is as follows:
Jim Nicholson Award – Greg Mancz
Norman Cohen Award
Offense: Terry Swanson
Defense: Trevon Mathis
Jon Binder Award – Randy Swift
Findlay Community Service Award – Rashad Irvin
Hanson Senior Scholar Award - Zach Rosenbauer
Gus Yeager Legacy Award – Jeremiah Detmer
Future Team Player Award
Offense: Chris Jones
Defense: Ola Adeniyi
Special Teams: Richard Olekanma
Offensive MVP – Kareem Hunt
Defensive MVP – Orion Jones
Special Teams MVP – Jeremiah Detmer
Captains Award – Jeremiah Detmer, Greg Mancz, Jeff Myers, JR Sylvestre
Lauterbur Leadership Award – Dwight Macon and Trent Voss
Unsung Hero Award
Offense: Josh Hendershot
Defense: Ray Bush
Special Teams: Drake Fletcher
The 2014 Rockets will play together one last time when they face Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, AL on Jan. 4.
