Retro
December 15th, 2005, 06:00 PM
Cal Poly Defensive End Chris Gocong Wins Buck Buchanan Award
-- Cal Poly Football --
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly senior defensive end Chris Gocong is
the winner of the 2005 Buck Buchanan Award presented by The Sports Network
to the nationıs defensive player of the year in Division I-AA.
Gocong received the award at the 19th Annual Division I-AA College Football
Awards held Thursday in The Sheraton Read House Hotel in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Winner of the Walter Payton Award, presented by The Sports Network to the
Division I-AA Player of the Year, also was announced Thursday as well as the
recipient of the Eddie Robinson Award for Division I-AA Coach of the Year.
Gocong is the second Cal Poly player in as many years to win the award.
Linebacker Jordan Beck, a third-round draft choice of the Atlanta Falcons
last April, won the 2004 Buck Buchanan Award. Gocong finished second in the
balloting for the 2004 award.
Balloting was conducted in late November by more than 100 media members and
media relations professionals covering Division I-AA and was based on
regular season performance only.
³I donıt know what to say about winning the award twice in a row,² said Cal
Poly head coach Rich Ellerson, who has guided the Mustangs to three
consecutive winning seasons and 26 wins in their last 36 games. ³Both Gocong
and Beck came in together, and Chris, Jordan and their classmates oversaw
this renaissance of Cal Poly football. Winning back-to-back Buchanan Awards
is an exclamation point on what this entire class could do.²
It has been a busy week of awards for Gocong. The 6-3, 265-pound Carpinteria
High School graduate was named to the prestigious AFCA Division I-AA
Coachesı All-America Team and the Associated Press Division I-AA All-America
Team on Wednesday, the Sports Networkıs All-America first team on Monday and
the Walter Camp Football Foundation Division I-AA All-America Team last
Thursday.
³For him to perform that consistently over the last couple years is a
reflection of effort, the effort he produces from snap to whistle, the
effort in the classroom, in the weight room, year in and year out,
manifesting itself on the football field,² said Ellerson. ³Heıs getting a
degree in biomedical engineering from one of most respected programs in the
country in that field. All of his success is more due to his consistency
and effort in all that he does.²
Gocong, scheduled to play in the 2006 Las Vegas All-American Classic on
Saturday, Jan. 14, in Sam Boyd Stadium, was named Great West Football
Conference Defensive Player of the Year two weeks ago and has 42.0 career
sacks, 1.5 sacks shy of the career mark set by Tom Carey (1985-88).
This season, Gocong finished first in the nation in sacks per game (1.81),
second in tackles for lost yardage (2.35 per game) and 23rd in forced
fumbles (.31). He recorded 98 total tackles (46 solo), including a
school-record 23.5 sacks and 31.0 tackles for lost yardage, leading the
Mustangs to a 9-4 record, a second straight Great West Football Conference
championship and the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
He recovered a Montana State fumble in the end zone on Sept. 17 for his
first career Mustang touchdown.
Gocong finished the 2004 regular season as the nation's sacks leader in
Division I-AA with 17.5 (1.59 sacks per contest) and was No. 2 in tackles
for lost yardage with 21.5 (1.95 a game). Gocong recorded 71 total tackles
as a junior and also notched one interception (Humboldt State), one punt
block (North Dakota State) and two forced fumbles.
Cal Poly is the first school to win back-to-back Buck Buchanan Awards since
1995-96 when linebacker Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State earned the award
in consecutive seasons.
Gocong captured 44 of 113 first-place votes and 359 total points to claim
the Buchanan trophy. Brent Hawkins of Illinois State finished second with 19
first-place votes and 266 points, while Hampton linebacker Justin Durant was
third with 13 first-place votes and 171 points.
The award is named for Junious "Buck" Buchanan, the NAIA All-American and
Pro Football Hall of Fame, defensive lineman who played for Grambling State
University from 1959 through 1962.
New Hampshire head coach Sean McDonnell was named the 19th winner of the
Eddie Robinson Award. New Hampshireıs 10-1 regular season mark was its best
since 1994, and the Wildcats also claimed a share of the Atlantic 10 title
for the first time since that season. The Wildcats held the No. 1 ranking
for five weeks during the season..
San Diego, which went 11-1 and claimed the Pioneer Football League title,
accepted The Sports Network Cup, emblematic of the top I-AA mid-major
program. The Toreros, who garnered all 26 first-place votes and 260 total
points in the final balloting conducted among Mid-Major sports information
directors and selected media members, become the first PFL representative to
take home The Sports Network Cup since Dayton won the hardware in 2002.
The three finalists for the Walter Payton Award were Eastern Washington
quarterback Erik Meyer, New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos and Brown
running back Nick Hartigan.
2005 BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD VOTING
NAME (SCHOOL) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total
Chris Gocong (Cal Poly) 44 21 11 6 10 359
Brent Hawkins (Illinois State) 19 22 19 10 6 266
Justin Durant (Hampton) 13 11 11 8 13 171
Reed Doughty (Northern Colorado) 5 8 9 13 8 118
Chad Nkang (Elon) 7 3 5 13 9 97
Jay McCareins (Princeton) 3 7 6 9 11 90
William Freeman (Furman) 6 4 8 2 11 85
Maurice Bennett (Lafayette) 0 5 10 11 11 83
Marques Murrell (Appalachian State) 2 4 8 5 9 69
Brian Hulea (Villanova) 2 5 6 8 5 69
Shannon James (Massachusetts) 4 3 5 6 4 63
Brady Fosmark (Weber State) 5 5 2 1 1 54
Cameron Siskowic (Illinois State) 0 4 5 8 5 52
Jeff Charleston (Idaho State) 2 4 5 2 3 48
Antoine Bullock (Duquesne) 1 3 2 9 5 46
Zak DeOssie (Brown) 0 4 1 2 1 24
*Alex Arinsmier (Davidson) 0 0 0 0 1 1
-- Cal Poly Football --
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly senior defensive end Chris Gocong is
the winner of the 2005 Buck Buchanan Award presented by The Sports Network
to the nationıs defensive player of the year in Division I-AA.
Gocong received the award at the 19th Annual Division I-AA College Football
Awards held Thursday in The Sheraton Read House Hotel in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Winner of the Walter Payton Award, presented by The Sports Network to the
Division I-AA Player of the Year, also was announced Thursday as well as the
recipient of the Eddie Robinson Award for Division I-AA Coach of the Year.
Gocong is the second Cal Poly player in as many years to win the award.
Linebacker Jordan Beck, a third-round draft choice of the Atlanta Falcons
last April, won the 2004 Buck Buchanan Award. Gocong finished second in the
balloting for the 2004 award.
Balloting was conducted in late November by more than 100 media members and
media relations professionals covering Division I-AA and was based on
regular season performance only.
³I donıt know what to say about winning the award twice in a row,² said Cal
Poly head coach Rich Ellerson, who has guided the Mustangs to three
consecutive winning seasons and 26 wins in their last 36 games. ³Both Gocong
and Beck came in together, and Chris, Jordan and their classmates oversaw
this renaissance of Cal Poly football. Winning back-to-back Buchanan Awards
is an exclamation point on what this entire class could do.²
It has been a busy week of awards for Gocong. The 6-3, 265-pound Carpinteria
High School graduate was named to the prestigious AFCA Division I-AA
Coachesı All-America Team and the Associated Press Division I-AA All-America
Team on Wednesday, the Sports Networkıs All-America first team on Monday and
the Walter Camp Football Foundation Division I-AA All-America Team last
Thursday.
³For him to perform that consistently over the last couple years is a
reflection of effort, the effort he produces from snap to whistle, the
effort in the classroom, in the weight room, year in and year out,
manifesting itself on the football field,² said Ellerson. ³Heıs getting a
degree in biomedical engineering from one of most respected programs in the
country in that field. All of his success is more due to his consistency
and effort in all that he does.²
Gocong, scheduled to play in the 2006 Las Vegas All-American Classic on
Saturday, Jan. 14, in Sam Boyd Stadium, was named Great West Football
Conference Defensive Player of the Year two weeks ago and has 42.0 career
sacks, 1.5 sacks shy of the career mark set by Tom Carey (1985-88).
This season, Gocong finished first in the nation in sacks per game (1.81),
second in tackles for lost yardage (2.35 per game) and 23rd in forced
fumbles (.31). He recorded 98 total tackles (46 solo), including a
school-record 23.5 sacks and 31.0 tackles for lost yardage, leading the
Mustangs to a 9-4 record, a second straight Great West Football Conference
championship and the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
He recovered a Montana State fumble in the end zone on Sept. 17 for his
first career Mustang touchdown.
Gocong finished the 2004 regular season as the nation's sacks leader in
Division I-AA with 17.5 (1.59 sacks per contest) and was No. 2 in tackles
for lost yardage with 21.5 (1.95 a game). Gocong recorded 71 total tackles
as a junior and also notched one interception (Humboldt State), one punt
block (North Dakota State) and two forced fumbles.
Cal Poly is the first school to win back-to-back Buck Buchanan Awards since
1995-96 when linebacker Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State earned the award
in consecutive seasons.
Gocong captured 44 of 113 first-place votes and 359 total points to claim
the Buchanan trophy. Brent Hawkins of Illinois State finished second with 19
first-place votes and 266 points, while Hampton linebacker Justin Durant was
third with 13 first-place votes and 171 points.
The award is named for Junious "Buck" Buchanan, the NAIA All-American and
Pro Football Hall of Fame, defensive lineman who played for Grambling State
University from 1959 through 1962.
New Hampshire head coach Sean McDonnell was named the 19th winner of the
Eddie Robinson Award. New Hampshireıs 10-1 regular season mark was its best
since 1994, and the Wildcats also claimed a share of the Atlantic 10 title
for the first time since that season. The Wildcats held the No. 1 ranking
for five weeks during the season..
San Diego, which went 11-1 and claimed the Pioneer Football League title,
accepted The Sports Network Cup, emblematic of the top I-AA mid-major
program. The Toreros, who garnered all 26 first-place votes and 260 total
points in the final balloting conducted among Mid-Major sports information
directors and selected media members, become the first PFL representative to
take home The Sports Network Cup since Dayton won the hardware in 2002.
The three finalists for the Walter Payton Award were Eastern Washington
quarterback Erik Meyer, New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos and Brown
running back Nick Hartigan.
2005 BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD VOTING
NAME (SCHOOL) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total
Chris Gocong (Cal Poly) 44 21 11 6 10 359
Brent Hawkins (Illinois State) 19 22 19 10 6 266
Justin Durant (Hampton) 13 11 11 8 13 171
Reed Doughty (Northern Colorado) 5 8 9 13 8 118
Chad Nkang (Elon) 7 3 5 13 9 97
Jay McCareins (Princeton) 3 7 6 9 11 90
William Freeman (Furman) 6 4 8 2 11 85
Maurice Bennett (Lafayette) 0 5 10 11 11 83
Marques Murrell (Appalachian State) 2 4 8 5 9 69
Brian Hulea (Villanova) 2 5 6 8 5 69
Shannon James (Massachusetts) 4 3 5 6 4 63
Brady Fosmark (Weber State) 5 5 2 1 1 54
Cameron Siskowic (Illinois State) 0 4 5 8 5 52
Jeff Charleston (Idaho State) 2 4 5 2 3 48
Antoine Bullock (Duquesne) 1 3 2 9 5 46
Zak DeOssie (Brown) 0 4 1 2 1 24
*Alex Arinsmier (Davidson) 0 0 0 0 1 1