Johnston, Williams Earn Top Big South Conference Honors For 2007
November 21, 2007 | Football
CHARLOTTE – Gardner-Webb's Brian Johnston capped a dominant
career by earning his second straight Big South Conference
Defensive Player of the Year award, pacing a group of 11 Bulldogs
on the All-Conference team.
Linebacker Jeffrey Williams (Frisco City, Ala.) was named the
league's Freshman of the Year, joining Johnston for one of the Big
South's four major awards.
Johnston (San Diego, Calif.) was a force during his senior
campaign, registering 74 hits (37 solo), a Big South-record 24.0
tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and 22 quarterback pressures. A
three-time weekly defensive honoree in 2007, Johnston was recently
named a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year
Award and the Buck Buchanan Award (top FCS defensive player).
The former Madison (Calif.) High standout is also awaiting word on
expected roster spots in the nation's premier senior All-Star
games.
For his career, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive end wound up with
269 tackles (first in GWU history for a defensive lineman), 53.5
tackles for loss (first in GWU history, first in Big South
history), 20.5 sacks (first in Big South history) and 69
quarterback pressures (first in GWU history).
Johnston's efforts helped GWU lead the Big South in total defense,
and move up nearly 70 spots in the final regular season defensive
rankings nationally from the 2006 season.
Williams, a 6-0, 210-pounder, started in all 11 games for the
Bulldogs this season. The Frisco City (Ala.) High standout became
the first GWU true freshman to record 100 tackles in a season,
registering 120 hits, 8.5 tackles for loss, a sack and six pass
break ups.
Most impressive was Williams' performances in big games. He
corralled 10 ball carriers in his first start at FBS member Ohio,
made 11 stops at Mississippi State, totaled 12 hits at No. 5
Appalachian State and followed that with 13 tackles against No. 8
Wofford. Williams wrapped up his freshman season with a career-high
17 total hits (nine solo) against Big South champion Liberty.
Williams was named Big South Conference Freshman of the Week three
times in 2007.
Gardner-Webb had nine other men earn All-Big South honors, with
Duvaughn Flagler (first team offense), Demario Deese (first team
offense), Michael Hanna (first team punter) and Daniel Cooke
(second team defense) making the squad for the third season in a
row – in addition to Johnston.
Mario Brown (103 total tackles) and Cedric McGowan (50 total
tackles, four interceptions, 12 pass break ups) joined Johnston on
the first-team defense. Williams and Cooke were on the second
team.
Flagler (59 catches, 9 TD) and Deese (offensive tackle) made the
offensive first-team for Gardner-Webb, while receiver Dobson
Collins (51 catches, 3 TD) and senior guard Ivan Anderson earned
second-team honors on offense.
Collins and Flagler were the first GWU duo to catch 50 passes in
the same season since 1982.
Hanna was the league's top punter for the second season in a row,
and was joined by Collins (second-team punt return specialist) on
the special teams ballot.
Gardner-Webb's Billy Luther was named to the Big South Conference's
Scholar-Athlete squad, which consisted of one player from each of
the schools in the league.
