North Carolina State University Athletics
Rivers Tops NC State Football Awards
12/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Rivers, who rewrote the entire passing section of both the NC State and the Atlantic Coast Conference football record books, won the Governor's Award as the team's Most Valuable Player. The Governor's Award is based on ability, contribution, leadership and intangibles, attributes that Rivers has in abundance.
Rivers, the ACC Player of the Year, capped an historic career with an utterly remarkable season season. All Rivers did in 2003 was complete 311 of 438 passes (71 percent) for 4,016 yards and 29 touchdown passes. He averaged 334.7 yards per game, threw just seven interceptions.
Rivers set school single-season passing records for passing yards, pass completions, touchdown passes, completion percentage, 300-yard games (8), and 400-yard games. Coming into the 2003 season, Wolfpack quarterbacks had passed for 400 yards or more in a game just five times in more than 100 years. Rivers did it four times in 2003 alone, giving him six 400-yard games for his career. With eight 300-yard games in 2003, he has 16 of NC State's 30 300-yard passing games.
Senior wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery won the Mike Hardy Award as the player who demonstrates a winning attitude and plays above his capabilities. Cotchery was Rivers' favorite target in '03, catching 73 passes for 1,198 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 99.8 yards per game. Only St. Louis Rams' all-pro candidate Torry Holt (88 catches for 1,604 yards in 1998) ever caught more passes for more yards in a single season than Cotchery did in 2003.
Sophomore linebacker Manny Lawson captured the award for Special Teams Player of the Year. Lawson had 11 tackles on special teams and blocked one kick.
The Bo Rein Award for the player who makes a vital contribution in an unsung role went to senior defensive back Victor Stephens, who served as the Wolfpack's nickel back in pass coverage and played special teams.Stephens had 31 tackles and broke up three tackles, and was a fierce blocker on kickoff and punt returns.
The Bob Warren Award for integrity and sportsmanship went to junior center Jed Paulsen, who anchored an offensive line that emerged as a force as the season progressed.
The trio of junior linebacker Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay, sophomore wide receiver Tramain Hall and freshman running back Reggie Davis split the Al Michaels Award for the player who puts the team before self.
Aughtry-Lindsay was third on the team in total tackles with 92 and led the special teams with 13. He also had seven tackles for losses totalling 19 yards, notched two sacks for six yards, broke up five passes, and recovered a fumble.
In addition to returning punts and kickoffs, Hall served as the offensive unit's utility skills player, lining up at flanker, wide receiver, slot receiver, and running back. He caught 65 passes for 753 yards and seven touchdowns, carried the ball 33 times for 102 yards, returned nine kickoffs for 160 yards, and returned 18 punts for 199 yards and two touchdowns.
Davis gave up a potential redshirt season late in the year when the Wolfpack needed an extra running back due to injuries to T.A. McLendon and Josh Brown. Davis played in four games and carried the ball 24 times for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Junior guard Ricky Fowler won the Ken McNeil Award for the greatest comeback from an injury. Fowler came back this season after suffering a subluxed kneecap and a sprained anterior cruciate ligament.
The top offensive newcomers were redshirt freshman guard Leroy Harris and true freshman tackle Derek Morris, both of whom helped the offensive line become a force in the latter stages of the season. The defensive newcomer was freshman linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who made his presence felt throughout the season with his jarring tackles at the line of scrimmage. Tulloch finished sixth on the team with 57 tackles, including five tackles for losses totalling six yards. He also had five quarterback pressures and broke up a pair of passes.
* The following awards also were presented at the banquet:
Cary Brewbaker Award (most valuable lineman) -- John McCargo
Most Valuable Defensive Back -- Andre Maddox
Most Valuable Linebacker -- Pat Thomas
Jim Ritcher Award (most valuable offensive lineman) -- Sean Locklear
Most Valuable Offensive Back -- Tramain Hall
Most Valuable Specialist -- Austin Herbert, Danny Young
Earle Edwards Award (letterman with the highest grade-point average) -- Adam Kiker
Gary Rowe Award (most season receptions) -- Jerricho Cotchery
Offensive Scout Team Player -- Chris Moore
Top Conditioned Athlete -- T.J. Williams (heavyweight division), Oliver Hoyte (middleweight division), Lamont Reid (lightweight division)
