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Zaven Collins Gets Another All-America First Team Honor; This Time by the AFCA
12/31/2020 10:01:00 AM | Football
DALLAS, Texas –– The University of Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins was named to the 2020 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America first team, it was announced today by the AFCA.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
Collins has been named to nearly every first-team All-America team announced thus far this season, including the Associated Press, FWAA, Sporting News, USA Today, CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus and The Athletic.
Since the 2002 season, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), The Associated Press (AP), The Sporting News (SN) and the Walter Camp Football Foundation are the five designated selectors by the NCAA for consensus All-America honors. The Walter Camp All-America team is the only team not yet to be announced.
Collins was one of the most dynamic defenders in college football this season. He has totaled 54 tackles, 11.5 TFLs for minus 49 yards, four sacks for minus 25 yards, four interceptions for 152 return yards, two TDs off INTs, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, as well as one safety, in eight games. Two of Collins' interceptions were game-clinchers, including a pickoff against No. 19 SMU that ended any possible final scoring drive for the Mustangs and his pick-6 in overtime against Tulane that he took 96 yards for the game-winning score.
At 6'4", 260 pounds, Collins has been named the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as the nation's top defensive player as voted on by the FWAA. He is also being considered for the Chuck Bednarik Award as one of three finalists for the top defensive player award. He was also named runner-up for the Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker.
Collins was unanimously chosen as the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to earn unanimous player-of-the-year honors, and also receiving unanimous first-team all-AAC accolades.
Throughout the season, Collins earned AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors four out of seven weeks and was a three-time National Defensive Player of the Week selection. In four games against top-25 opponents this season –– #11 Oklahoma State, #11 UCF, #19 SMU and #6 Cincinnati –– Collins had 25 solo tackles among his 35 total stops and 10 TFL's for minus 45 yards, four sacks and two interceptions.
Players Mentioned
Linebacker
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