APEarlier this week, four finalists were announced for the inaugural Johnny Rodgers National College Football Return Specialist Award.
As a surprise to probably no one, and highlighted by one of the most ridiculous punt returns I can remember, Arkansas’ Joe Adams has walked away with the hardware.
Adams led the NCAA with four punt returns for touchdowns in 2011 and finished the year with 356 return yards on 19 attempts. Those numbers were good enough to win Adams the title of the SEC’s Special Teams Player of the Year.
“I’m honored to be the first recipient of the Johnny ‘The Jet’ Rodgers National College Football Return Specialist Award,” Adams said. “First of all, I want to thank my mom* because she helped me get where I am today. Also, I’d like to thank Johnny for choosing me for this award and my coaches at Arkansas for putting me in a position to succeed. This award would not have been possible without the other guys on the punt return unit who made key blocks during my returns. I’m looking forward to going to Omaha to accept this award on behalf of our program.”
(*always a good idea to thank mom first)
The other finalists for the award were North Carolina’s T.J. Thorpe,Dustin Harris from Texas A&M and LSU’sTyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu.
Adams will be presented with the award during a banquet in Omaha, Neb., on April 12.
Well this is at least one award that they got right!!!
Still gonna be a bust in the NFL as a WR.
What did he do to win it, knock over a liquor store?
The only difference in Adams and Welker … Adams is speed, quickness and running ability. He will be a top- receiver starting next year.
huskersock, your jealousy is very ugly of coarse you guys haven’t won much in a while have you?
Mrslay, I don’t want to speak for husker, but I think he’s referring to the namesake of the award. Johnny Rodgers won the Heisman in a year where he was arrested for burglary ( if memory serves…old have been for another offense). Of course I could be wrong but if I’m correct u should know your CFB history before being so touchy about your team. CFB did exist before 1998.
Oops….meant to type “could have been arrested for another offense other than burglary”. My bad.
Interesting, I just read a bio on Johnny Rogers and I didn’t see anything about a criminal record, not that there isn’t. Of coarse he does work with the Huskers athletes who have dropped out of school to finish their degrees as well as working with children mentoring them. Doesn’t sound like a real bad guy. and by the way, football started in Arkansas in 1894!
As an Arkansas native, I would have liked to have heard more about the other finalists even though I glad Joe Adams won it. Tyrann Mathieu may have received my vote if I had one but I don’t know much about T.J. Thorpe or Dustin Harris.
mrslay1 Johnny Rodgers did knock over a liquor store about 4 weeks before the big Oklahoma game. My family and myself are all from Nebraska, My grandfather never forgave Devaney for playing him. I have gotten over it because I would rather have the National Championship and I love my Huskers. However, it did happen even though no one wants to admit it. That is why no one published a comments saying it didn’t happen, I assure you plenty of husker fans read this blog, and if it was bull they would have called me out.
One other thing, a Nebraska fan jealous of Arkansas? You have got to be kidding me! Alabama probably, but Arkansas, not for five national championships pal.