Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Football Hands Out Awards
December 08, 2009 | Cowboy Football
Dec. 8, 2009
STILLWATER, Okla. - Oklahoma State football held its 2009 team banquet last Sunday night, and head coach Mike Gundy handed out team awards to numerous deserving players.
The majority of the award winners were seniors, which is a fitting tribute to a group that has led OSU to four-straight bowl berths for the first time in program history.
The 2009 team award winners were voted on by the OSU coaching staff.
Zac Robinson earned the Bob Fenimore Award as the team MVP. The senior quarterback broke numerous school records in 2009, setting career marks for total offense (10,048), passing yards (8,199) and touchdown passes (66). This season, Robinson has helped the Cowboys reached the nine-win mark for the second year in a row by passing for 1,966 yards and tossing 15 touchdowns while completing 62 percent of his pass attempts. He has also rushed for 296 yards and four scores.
Both the offensive and defensive players of the year were shared awards. Earning the Thurman Thomas Award as offensive MVP's were senior running back Keith Toston and senior left tackle Russell Okung.
Toston earned All-Big 12 First Team honors after racking up 1,177 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns for the league's top rushing offense. Okung helped pave the way for that ground attack and was named the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year. He will likely be a consensus All-American and is a finalist for the Outland Trophy.
On defense, the Leslie O'Neal Award was given to senior linebackers Andre Sexton and Patrick Lavine as that unit's MVP.
Lavine and Sexton rank second and third, respectively, on OSU's tackles chart this season. Lavine has 70 stops to go along with five interceptions, while has racked up 62 tackles and ranks among the Cowboys' career leaders in stops.
The Mike Johnson Award is given to the player who exhibits outstanding spirit and enthusiasm, and that honor was shared by wide receiver DeMarcus Conner and linebacker Donald Booker.
Conner continues to make his mark as a punishing blocker while also having 10 catches for 65 yards. In his first season as a starter, Booker leads OSU with 86 tackles and five sacks.
Center Andrew Lewis is the epitome of a student-athlete and was given the Dr. L.L.. Boger Award for academic and athletic achievement. A two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection, Lewis has already has an undergraduate degree and will earn his Master's in Health Care Administration later this week. The Cowboys' center has started 37-straight games on the offensive line and was named OSU's offensive lineman of the week four times this season by the coaching staff.
Earning the Barry Sanders Award, which is given for making the greatest contribution with the least recognition, were Lewis and safety Lucien Antoine. After missing most of last season with a knee injury, Antoine has racked up 52 tackles in 2009, six of those for loss, and become one of the OSU defenses most feared hitters.
Perrish Cox earned the Special Teams Award as the outstanding special teams player. The Big 12's all-time leader in kickoff return yardage, Cox is second on the Cowboys this season in all-purpose yardage, averaging 78.1 per game. He averages just under 21 yards per kickoff return and over 10 per punt return, and he has a punt return for a touchdown.
A trio of Cowboys brought home the Dick Bogert Award, which is given to the team's outstanding newcomer, as offensive lineman Lane Taylor, punter Quinn Sharp and cornerback Andrew McGee brought home that hardware.
A redshirt freshman, Sharp averages 44.4 yards per punt, and 34 of his 68 kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.
Fellow redshirt frosh Taylor earned a starting spot on the Cowboys' offensive line four games into the season and was a key cog in helping OSU lead the Big 12 in rushing yardage and sacks allowed.
A JUCO transfer, McGee had 33 tackles and an interception in 11 games.
Six Cowboys were honored with the Captains Award, which is voted on by the OSU players. Earning that honor were Cox, Lavine, Okung, Robinson, Sexton and Toston.
Eight players earned the 4-Year Letter Award: Cox, Lavine, Okung, Robinson, Sexton, Toston, Brady Bond and Derek Burton Jr.
