Sixteen players from the SJSU football team were named to all-conference teams and defensive end Travis Johnson was given the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year award on Monday.
Nine Spartans appearing on the all-WAC first-team is tied with Louisiana Tech for the most in the conference. SJSUs seven players on the second-team is the most from any team in the WAC.Johnson, a senior from San Jose, Calif. also named to the first team, leads the conference in tackles for a loss with 19 for 106 yards.
His 12 total sacks ranks him first in the WAC and seventh in the nation. He helped guide an SJSU defense that leads the WAC in sacks and is second in the conference in scoring defense and total defense. Johnsons second-quarter sack of Louisiana Techs Colby Cameron in SJSUs 52-43 win on Nov. 24 gave him 31 sacks in his career, the most in WAC history. His 46.5 career tackles for a loss is fourth all-time in conference history.
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He is the first player in school history to win the award since Jarron Gilbert took the honors in 2008. Appearing on first-team all-WAC alongside Johnson are: Wide receiver Noel Grigsby, tight end Ryan Otten, offensive linemen Nicholas Kaspar and David Quessenberry, defensive tackle Travis Raciti, linebackers Keith Smith and Vince Buhagiar and defensive back Bene Benwikere. Second-team all-WAC Spartans include: Wide receiver Chandler Jones, quarterback David Fales, running back DeLeon Eskridge, defensive tackle Anthony Larceval, defensive end David Tuitupou, kicker Austin Lopez and kick returner Tyler Ervin. Fales, named the teams MVP by players and coaches Sunday, was beat out for the first-team quarterback spot by Louisiana Techs Cameron, who was named the WACs Offensive Player of the Year.
Fales set single-season school records for passing yards, touchdowns, completions and total offense.2012 MILITARY BOWL SJSU will face Bowling Green, who has won seven of its past eight games, in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27 in Washington D.C. at RFK Stadium, the former home of the Washington Redskins. The Falcons will try to stop SJSUs high-powered offense with their stout defense that ranks ninth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 15.8 points per game.