Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 2, 1993 TAG: 9312010121
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press and staff reports
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Teammate Derrick Brooks, who helped the Seminoles stop their opponents, was runner-up for the award. The Florida State stars were also named the offensive and defensive players of the year.
Bobby Bowden, in his 18th year at Florida State, received 48 of a possible 84 votes from members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association to win the coach of the year award. He won over North Carolina's Mack Brown, who got 24 votes. First-year coach Mike O'Cain of N.C. State was third with seven.
Ward, a senior quarterback, received 58 votes for player of the year. Brooks, a linebacker, got two votes in balloting by the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association.
Ward had 84 of the 85 votes for offensive player of the year. The other vote went to Maryland quarterback Scott Milanovich.
For the defensive player of the year, Brooks received 63 votes. Teammate Derrick Alexander had eight, North Carolina defensive back Bracey Walker was next with seven, Seminoles defensive back Corey Sawyer received two and four players each received one of the remaining four votes.
Ward either holds or shares 17 school offensive records.
Ward, also the point guard for Florida State's basketball team, is the ACC's top-rated passer and is rated fourth in the country. He produced 3,371 yards of offense this year, second in the ACC to Milanovich and seventh in the latest NCAA statistics.
Brooks had outscored the opposition at one point this season, but nagging injuries kept him off the field late in the year. He did score three touchdowns in the first four games while Florida State's opponents had managed two touchdowns.
The Seminoles also were the best defensive team in the league by more than 40 yards a game.
"Our defense played fantastic football, but they had about a three-game spell where they were kind of inconsistent," Bowden said. "And it happened to be that Derrick Brooks didn't even play in those games, he couldn't play or he played hurt, and there was a drop-off."
\ DIXON RECOGNIZED: Virginia guard Mark Dixon has been named to the Walter Camp All-America team, the second All-America football team he has made.
Dixon, declared academically ineligible before the Cavaliers' game with Virginia Tech on Nov. 20, also made The Football News All-America team and was a first-team All-ACC selection.
Virginia Tech center Jim Pyne also made the Walter Camp team, as did Clemson guard Stacy Seegars and two players from Florida State, quarterback Charlie Ward and cornerback Coey Sawyer.
by CNB