Three Heels, two Wolfpackers make All-ACC first team

The Atlantic Coast Conference released its All-ACC Football teams Monday, and nine Tigers and eight Hokies made either the first or second teams. Division champions Virginia Tech and Clemson meet Saturday in the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship game in Charlotte.

Hokies running back David Wilson and Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly were unanimous first-team selections by 45 voting members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

Wilson led the league with an average of nearly 133 yards per game and with 1,595 yards rushing is 203 shy of the ACC single-season record set by Virginia’s Thomas Jones in 1999.

Kuechly led the nation with 191 total tackles for the Eagles and is the leading tackler in ACC history.

Every school placed at least one player on the first team. Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia had three apiece, while Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and NC State had two each. The Wolfpack was led by cornerback David Amerson, who set an ACC record with 11 interceptions – the most by any Bowl Subdivision player in nine years. The other Wolfpack player on the first team was specialist T.J. Graham.

Carolina’s Gio Bernard, the school’s first thousand-yard rusher since the 1990s, was the only Tar Heel on the first team All-ACC. Wake’s Chris Gevin’s beat out UNC’s Dwight Jones as first-team wide receiver. Jones made the second team. UNC’s defensive end Quinton Coples made the first team as did teammate Zach Brown at linebacker.

Duke safety Matt Daniels also made the first team.

Quarterback Tajh Boyd and star receiver Sammy Watkins were among the five Clemson players who made the first team. Watkins set ACC records for freshmen with 72 receptions, 1,073 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns, while Boyd leads the league with an average of 278 yards passing.

The 2011 All-ACC Football team as voted on by 45 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. NOTE: A first-team vote was worth two points and second team vote one. Unanimous selections marked with an asterisk.

FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB-Tajh Boyd, Clemson (71)
RB-David Wilson, Virginia Tech (90)*
RB-Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (66)
WR-Sammy Watkins, Clemson (86)
WR-Chris Givens, Wake Forest (69)
OT-Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech (86)
OT-Zebrie Sanders, Florida State (46)
OG-Austin Pasztor, Virginia (49)
OG-Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech (45)
C-Dalton Freeman, Clemson (44)
TE-Dwayne Allen, Clemson (78)
K-Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (75)
Spec.- T.J. Graham, NC State (45)
Defense
DE-Andre Branch, Clemson (79)
DE-Quinton Coples, North Carolina (64)
DT-Joe Vellano, Maryland (68)
DT-Matt Conrath, Virginia (55)
LB-Luke Kuechly, Boston College (90)*
LB-Sean Spence, Miami (82)
LB-Zach Brown, North Carolina (48)
CB-David Amerson, NC State (86)
CB-Chase Minnifield, Virginia (47)
S-Matt Daniels, Duke (80)
S-Josh Bush, Wake Forest (41)
P-Shawn Powell, Florida State (85)

SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB-Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (49)
WR-Dwight Jones, North Carolina (58)
WR-Conner Vernon, Duke (34)
RB-Lamar Miller, Miami (62)
RB-Andre Ellington, Clemson (26)
OT-Oday Aboushi, Virginia (43)
OT-James Hurst, North Carolina (30)
OG-Jaymes Brooks, Virginia Tech (35)
OG-Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina (31)
OG-Joe Looney, Wake Forest (31)
C-Tyler Horn, Miami (32)
TE-George Bryan, NC State (29)
K-Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson (37)
Spec.-Sammy Watkins, Clemson (33)
Defense
DE-Brandon Jenkins, Florida State (51)
DE-James Gayle, Virginia Tech (25)
DT-Brandon Thompson, Clemson (43)
DT-Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest (30)
LB-Terrell Manning, NC State (44)
LB-Julian Burnett, Georgia Tech (34)
LB-Steve Greer, Virginia (23)
CB-Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech (36)
CB-Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech (34)
S-Eddie Whitley, Virginia Tech (33)
S-Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (23)
P-Alex King, Duke (22)

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