Bailey, Brown Garner ACC Football Awards

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Nov. 25, 2003

Greensboro, N.C. – Two football Cavaliers are the recipients of Atlantic Coast Conference football awards announced by conference commissioner John Swofford Tuesday.

Senior offensive lineman Kevin Bailey is the winner of the Brian Piccolo Award, presented annually to “the most courageous” football player in the ACC, while junior offensive guard Elton Brown was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the most outstanding blocker in the conference.

The Piccolo Award is given in memory of the former Wake Forest star and 1965 ACC Athlete of the Year, whose NFL playing career with the Chicago Bears was cut short by cancer. His courageous fight against that disease was an inspiration to the Bears and the entire football community.

Bailey, a four-year letterman and a starter along the offensive line throughout his career, sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament of the left knee against Florida State in the second game last year and missed the remainder of the season. He later suffered two graft ruptures to the same ligament. The Lexington, Ky., native underwent extensive reconstruction three times in the course of a year before returning to play for the Cavaliers this season.

Brown is the ninth Cavalier to win the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given in memory of William P. Jacobs, who served as president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945.The trophy is voted upon by the league’s defensive coordinators.

A dominating guard, Brown has started in each of his three seasons in Charlottesville. A second-team All-ACC selection this season and an Honorable Mention All-ACC selection in 2002, Brown leads a balanced Cavalier attack that averages over 373 yards and 27 points per game.

The Hampton, Va., native was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week following the Duke game on August 30, and has been the leading grader for Virginia several times this season. In addition, Brown has helped the Cavaliers lead the ACC in fewest sacks allowed (9) this season as well as ranking second in passing efficiency.

The players will be presented their awards at the annual ACC Awards Banquet in Atlanta next Monday (Dec. 1).