ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, November 29, 1996 TAG: 9611290126
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Virginia's Tiki Barber became the third running back in the past 20 years to be named The Associated Press' player of the year in the ACC, beating out a pair of Florida State players for the league's highest football award.
``This is a great honor because of the level of competition I have played against in the Atlantic Coast Conference,'' said Barber, seventh in the nation in all-purpose yardage heading into today's game at No. 17 Virginia Tech.
``This is the culmination of all the hard work I've put into this game at the collegiate level,'' he said. ``Everything I've done has paid off.''
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior from Roanoke received 20 of a possible 59 votes cast by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association to beat out Florida State defensive lineman Peter Boulware, who received 15 votes, and Seminoles running back Warrick Dunn, who had 12.
Barber is 14th on the ACC's all-time rushing list with 3,224 yards and leads the league this season in rushing (119.8 yards a game), punt returns (13.2 per attempt) and all-purpose yardage (169.1 per game).
``He has been a great back who has gained a lot of his yards on his own,'' coach George Welsh said of his two-time, first-team All-ACC runner. ``He was most of our offense all year. Tiki has broken tackles and made great catches, and has played at the top of his game all season.''
Barber is the sixth Virginia player to win the top award. He joins UVa's Barry Word in 1985 and Duke's Robert Baldwin in 1994 as the only running backs to be named ACC player of the year in the past two decades.
Barber also beat out Dunn by 14 votes for offensive player of the year, while North Carolina quarterback Chris Keldorf finished third.
Meanwhile, Boulware was the overwhelming selection as the ACC's defensive player of the year, receiving 47 of a possible 90 votes. Clemson linebacker Anthony Simmons was second with 16 votes.
Boulware is considered one of the nation's premier pass-rushers from his defensive end position. Heading into Saturday's game with No. 1 Florida, the junior leads the ACC with 19 sacks and is second with 20 tackles for losses.
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