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May 12, 2005
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Eight Virginia football players have earned 2004 All-State honors from the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association, VaSID announced on Thursday.
Named to the all-state team were junior LB Darryl Blackstock (Newport News, Va.), sophomore LB Ahmad Brooks (Woodbridge, Va.), senior G Elton Brown (Hampton, Va.), junior T D’Brickashaw Ferguson (Freeport, N.Y.), senior NT Andrew Hoffman (South Riding, Va.), junior TE Heath Miller (Swords Creek, Va.), senior TB Alvin Pearman (Charlotte, N.C.), and senior C Zac Yarbrough (Winter Park, Fla.). Virginia sported the most all-state players from Division I.
Blackstock, a third round NFL draft pick by Arizona, is a dynamic pass rusher who excelled in Al Groh’s 3-4 defense at UVa. He finished his collegiate career second in school history with 27 quarterback sacks and third with 45 tackles for loss. His 27 sacks are second in ACC history by a linebacker, half a sack behind former Georgia Tech star Marco Coleman who had 27.5 sacks from 1989-91. Overall, nearly 20 percent of his career tackles occurred behind the line of scrimmage (45 of 237). He was named National Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2002 after leading all freshmen in sacks (10) and tackles for loss (14). His 10 sacks are an ACC record for a freshman, while his 107 tackles that year were second-most by a rookie in school history. He made 11 sacks in 2004 to lead the nation’s linebackers.
Brooks is one of the fastest players on the Virginia team. A finalist for the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker, he was the team’s leading tackler last fall with 90 tackles. The first-team All-ACC honoree also led the Cavaliers with 11 quarterback hurries. The two-year starter became the first Cavalier to lead the team in tackling his first two seasons since Charles McDaniel in 1982-83.
Brown, a fourth round NFL draft pick by Arizona, was one of the top offensive linemen in school history. He didn’t allow a sack as a senior and earned consensus first-team All-American to join Jim Dombrowski (1985) and G Mark Dixon (1993) as the only consensus All-American linemen in school history. A tremendous pulling guard who excels in getting out on the edge and clearing a path for the backs, Brown started 39 games in his career, one of the top figures by a guard in Virginia history. He was named the winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC’s top blocker in voting by the league’s head coaches following his junior and senior seasons, just the 10th player in league history to be a two-time recipient and the first guard to win it twice.
Ferguson, UVa’s first All-ACC tackle in six years, started every game of his career (39), the longest streak by a UVa left tackle since All-American Jim Dombrowski started a record 45 straight games. He earned first-team All-ACC honors. Ferguson was named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Oct. 11 following his play in the win over Clemson.
Hoffman, selected by the Cleveland Browns, was outstanding as a nose tackle in Al Groh’s 3-4 defensive alignment at Virginia. A three-year starter at the position, he was adept at clogging the middle of the line. He finished his career seventh in school history in tackles by a nose/defensive tackle with 167. According to Groh, nobody on the defense had any better season than he did during his senior year in 2004 when he earned honorable mention All-ACC honors. Hoffman led UVa’s defensive linemen in tackling with an average of 4.3 tpg (career high) and was third in the conference in tackling by nose/defensive tackles.
Miller, drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, will go down as perhaps the greatest tight end in ACC history. He won the Mackey Award last season as the nation’s best tight end, while also earning unanimous All-American honors. He joins T Jim Dombrowski (1985) as the only unanimous All-Americans in school history. A three-year starter, Miller rewrote the UVa and ACC record book for tight end receiving, setting records for most receptions (144), yards (1703) and touchdowns (20) in a career. Overall he finished second in UVa history in receptions, seventh in yards and tied for fourth in touchdown receptions. He also shares the school record for most 100-yard games by a TE (3). He was the leading receiver in the country among tight ends as a sophomore in 2003 with 70 receptions for 835 yards, figures that are ACC and UVa records for a tight end. He led ACC TEs in receiving from 2002-04. His nine touchdown receptions as a freshman in 2002 set an ACC record for a TE. He also caught at least one pass in 32 of his final 33 games.
Pearman, a fourth round NFL draftee by Jacksonville, is an outstanding all-purpose back. The first-team All-ACC honoree was Virginia’s leading rusher as a senior in 2004 with a career-high 1037 yards. He also led the ACC with 1938 all-purpose yards, the fourth-highest total in ACC history and second in UVa history. He also set Virginia records by a running back with 138 receptions for 1396 yards. As a junior in 2003 he was the only player ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in rushing (eighth) and receiving (seventh). During his senior season in 2004 he finished with 314 punt return yards, the most by a Cavalier in 14 years.
Yarbrough, was one of the team’s most unheralded players. The three-year starter played all but 20 snaps as a senior. Virginia led the ACC and ranked 25th nationally in total offense, averaging 423.4 yards per contest. Yarbrough helped the Cavaliers lead the ACC in fewest sacks allowed last season as well as ranking third in scoring offense. A semifinalist for the Rimington Award as the nation’s top center, the second-team All-ACC honoree earned ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors on Nov. 8 following his play in the win over Maryland.
Virginia opens the 2005 season at home on Sept. 3 with Western Michigan.