Blake receives top defensive honor from CFN
12/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 7, 2005
CHICAGO -- TCU defensive end Tommy Blake has been named the CollegeFootballNews.com Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year with linebacker Jason Phillips receiving Freshman of the Year accolades.The league champion and 14th-ranked Horned Frogs topped all schools with nine selections on CFN's All-MWC team. Representing TCU were Blake, quarterback Jeff Ballard, offensive tackles Herbert Taylor and Michael Toudouze, placekicker Chris Manfredini, defensive end Chase Ortiz, cornerback Quincy Butler and Cory Rodgers as both the kickoff and punt returner.
Blake tops the Mountain West Conference with 12.5 tackles for a loss, while his 6.0 sacks are second on the team and third in the league. The sophomore from Aransas Pass, Texas, leads all TCU defensive linemen with 55 tackles. He has at least one tackle for a loss in seven straight games and in eight contests overall.
Blake recorded two sacks in a win at Wyoming and a season-best eight tackles in victories over New Mexico and Air Force. He had 3.5 tackles for a loss as part of seven stops in the regular-season finale against UNLV.
Phillips, also a Freshman All-American, tied for the TCU lead with 63 tackles. The MWC office announced earlier this week that he was voted to the second-team All-MWC squad, making him the first freshman defensive player in league history to be named first or second-team All-MWC.
Ballard, 7-0 as the Frogs' starting signal caller, was listed by CFN as the top quarterback in the MWC this year. The junior from Friendswood, Texas, also had CFN's Best Performance of the Year when he tied LaDainian Tomlinson's TCU record by accounting for six touchdowns (4 rushing, 2 passing) in a 49-28 win over New Mexico. Ballard completed 16-of-28 passes for 192 yards while adding 79 yards rushing on nine carries against the Lobos.
Manfredini was cited as the league's top placekicker after making all 12 of his field-goal attempts.
TCU's Gary Patterson was named MWC Coach of the Year. The Frogs (10-1, 8-0), picked to finish sixth in the league with just one preseason all-conference selection, posted the third undefeated record in MWC history.
