The University of Memphis football team has earned two Conference USA Player of the Year Awards for the first time in the conference's history.
All-time school rushing leader and Heisman trophy candidate running back DeAngelo Williams, along with teammate and Lou Groza award nominee Stephen Gostkowski, both earned the C-USA's highest awards Wednesday.
The C-USA's Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year Awards were presented to Williams and Gostkowski after a poll voted on by C-USA coaches and media.
This season marks the third straight year that Williams has taken the offensive player of the year honor.
"DeAngelo is a phenomenal back," said head coach Tommy West. "He is a real competitor."
Williams's 127 rushing yards Saturday against Marshall helped the senior tie an NCAA record for career 100-yard games with 33. Williams is also the current NCAA all-purpose yard record holder with 7,337 yards.
"Before the season started, the (offensive line) told me to keep things neat and to continue to play my role on this team," Williams said. "That's been rushing the ball."
Gostkowski earned his first Special Teams Player of the Year Award this year after hitting 19-of-22 field goals and connecting on all of his 32 extra point attempts this season.
West said that when Gostkowski came to the Tigers, he was a horrible kicker.
Originally recruited as a pitcher for the baseball team, Gostkowski took over kicking duties in 2002 as a walk-on, replacing Ryan White, who holds the Tigers' record for most points kicking and most field goals made in a half.
Gostkowski finished his last home game as a Tiger Saturday with a school record 53-yard field goal, breaking White's previous record of 52 and earning the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week Award.
Gostkowski is The U of M's leading scorer and holds the C-USA record in PATs made at 156.
Other Tigers honored this season with C-USA awards include offensive linemen Andrew Handy, first team honor, and Brandon Pearce, who took home a second team selection.
Handy and Pearce helped lead the Tigers to the fourth-ranked rushing offense in the country this season.
"Our offensive line has done a lot of really great things this year," Williams said.
Defensively, Tigers' safety Wesley Smith and Marcus West both received first team selections.
West lead the team with 11 sacks while Smith lead the Tigers in tackles with 79.
Other U of M players receiving mention were receiver Maurice Jones, with a All-Freshman team selection, and punter Michael Gibson, who accepted C-USA second team honors.
This season marks only the second time in C-USA history that Memphis has had five players selected to the first team, with the last coming in 2000 when five U of M defensive players were honored with first team selections.
