Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Rack Up All-Big 12 Honors
December 07, 2011 | Cowboy Football
Dec. 7, 2011
IRVING, Texas - Big 12 Conference champion Oklahoma State placed a league-high 12 players on the 2011 All-Big 12 Football Teams, including eight first-team selections, while Cowboy senior Grant Garner was named the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and junior Quinn Sharp was the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year, the league office announced today. Selections were made by the league's 10 head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own players.
OSU's 12 all-conference performers are the most in school history, topping the 10 of a year ago. The eight first-team selections are tied for the second-most in program history, trailing only 2010 when nine Cowboys earned a spot on the first team.
Additionally, the Cowboys' 12 all-conference selections are the most for any league team in 2011, and their eight first teamers are also a league high.
Earning All-Big 12 First-Team honors for the Cowboys in 2011 were junior wide receiver Justin Blackmon, senior offensive linemen Garner and Levy Adcock, junior Sharp as both a placekicker and punter, senior defensive lineman Jamie Blatnick, senior defensive back Brodrick Brown and senior defensive back Markelle Martin. Both Blackmon and Adcock garnered first-team status for the second-straight year, with Blackmon being a unanimous choice for the second year in a row.
The selections of Martin, Brown and Blatnick gave OSU three defensive players on the first team for the first time since 1997 when Jamal Williams, R.W. McQuarters and Kevin Williams were all on the first team.
Four Cowboys were awarded spots on the All-Big 12 Second Team -- senior quarterback Brandon Weeden, sophomore running back Joseph Randle, junior fullback Kye Staley and senior wide receiver Josh Cooper. Weeden, who has thrown for 4,328 yards and 34 touchdowns this season, earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive year.
Garner, a native of Mesquite, Texas, started 11 of OSU's 12 games at center this season (he missed the Kansas game due to injury), and helped engineer one of the nation's best offenses, one that averaged nearly 50 points and 557 yards per game. He is the second OSU player in the last three years to earn Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year honors, joining Russell Okung in 2009.
Sharp becomes the third Cowboy in the last four years to be named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year (Dez Bryant in 2008 and Dan Bailey in 2010). He also became the first player in Big 12 history to make the All-Big 12 First Team as both a placekicker and punter.
A native of Mansfield, Texas, Sharp was successful on 20 of his 23 field goal attempts this season, and his 46.6 yards per punt led the Big 12. He also recorded 56 touchbacks on kickoffs this season. He averaged scoring 11.6 points per game to lead all conference kickers.
OSU also had three players earn honorable mention status: junior linebacker Alex Elkins for the Defensive Newcomer of the Year award, sophomore Justin Gilbert as a kick returner, sophomore linebacker Shaun Lewis and junior offensive lineman Lane Taylor. Gundy also earned honorable mention status for the Coach of the Year award.
