A Look at the Candidates for Virginia Tech Athlete of the Year
By Tim Thomas
Nov 16, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies mascot on the field before the game at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies defensive tackle Derrick Hopkins (98) sacks Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Tom Savage (7) during the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2013; Greensboro, NC, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Erick Green (11) shoots as North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Lorenzo Brown (2) defends in the first half at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The end of 2013 is almost here and Virginia Tech fans, you will have the opportunity to decide which athlete out of our six finalists was the top Virginia Tech athlete for 2013. You will have till New Year’s Eve at 8 A.M. to make your decision with the winner being announced later that day as we ring in 2014. There will be more awards throughout the next few days leading up to the top award that we here at Fighting Gobbler will be handing out so now let’s take a look at your six finalists for Athlete of the Year.
Erick Green
Virginia Tech may have had a rough season on the basketball court during the 2012-2013 College Basketball Season but Erick Green always seemed to dominate any game for the Hokies. Erick Green became the first Hokie to lead the country in scoring and the first player from a power conference to do so since Glenn Robinosn during the 1993-1994 season. Green’s success would lead him to being Co-ACC Player of the Year with Miami’s Shane Larkin to go along with being selected to the First-Team All-ACC. Green had an absolutely great season which helped him get selected 46th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. Erick Green absolutely dominated in 2013 and absolutely deserves to be on this list.
Oct 5, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Kyle Fuller (17) celebrates with safety Kyshoen Jarrett (34) after making an interception in the fourth quarter. The Hokies defeated the Tar Heels 27-17 at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Fuller
Kyle Fuller might not have been able to play a full season for the Hokies in 2013 but when Fuller was on the field, he made a massive impact and really boosted the performance of the Virginia Tech secondary. Fuller was named Third-Team All-ACC despite playing only 7 games on defense and 8 total games due to injuries. What is more telling about Fuller’s skill level is the fact that he was Coaches First-Team All-ACC which just shows the respect he has from the rest of the ACC. Kyle Fuller was a player that opposing offenses had to game plan to avoid which is why he is a finalist.
Derrick Hopkins
The Virginia Tech defensive line was one of the best in college football and they were led by star defensive tackle and future NFL player Derrick Hopkins. Hopkins was able to slow down almost every running back that the Hokies went against and the postseason awards and honors he has received shows that. Hopkins, after having 48 tackles and 3.5 sacks, was named to the Second-Team All-ACC and was a Third-Team All-American by Athlon and CBS Sports. Hopkins was a menace on the defensive lie that has a future on Sundays and deserves to be a finalist for the Virginia Tech Athlete of the Year.
Jazmine Reeves
Virginia Tech’s Women’s Soccer team made a great run this season by going to the College Cup, which is equivalent to the Final Four, as they became very close to bringing home a national championship to Virginia Tech. They were led by star senior forward Jazmine Reeves who had 11 goals and 5 assists on the season which are quite impressive numbers. Reeves was also a seminfinalist for the Hermann Trophy while also being a First-Team NSCAA All-American and First Team All-ACC with all three being firsts for women’s soccer players at Virginia Tech. Reeves had an incredible season and proved herself worthy of being a finalist.
Mark Zagunis
There were many players that made Virginia Tech baseball very good last spring but catcher and outfielder Mark Zagunis was the real star for the Hokies. Zagunis might not have had elite power numbers but he had solid power numbers to go with quality defense, contact hitting, and baserunning. Zagunis was 19 for 24 in stolen base attempts to go with a batting average of .341 and an on-base percentage of .433. The respect Zagunis earned last season is a big reason why he is on the Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American Second Team, at catcher, which is quite an honor. Zagunis was impressive on the diamond last year and this may not be his last time as a finalist for the Fighting Gobbler Virginia Tech Athlete of the Year.
Jarell Eddie
Jarell Eddie has taken Erick Green’s spot this fall as the featured scorer for Virginia Tech’s Men’s Basketball team and Eddie has shown that he can handle it after being the second guy behind Green during the 2012-2013 season. Eddie had a solid 2012-2013 season and was honored with being on the All-ACC Academic team which shows how Eddie is a true student-athlete. Eddie has taken over the featured scoring role and is doing fairly well with an average of over 18 points per game while also shooting almost 50% from beyond the arc. Eddie is playing well for the Hokies and deserves to be nominated for the Fighting Gobbler Virginia Tech Athlete of the Year.
So, who should win VT Athlete of the Year?