Boston College senior running back Andre Williams, a Heisman Trophy finalist and Doak Walker Award winner, adds two more honors to his litany of accolades. The 6-foot, 227-pound back has earned first-team honors from both the American Football Coaches Association and Football Writers Association of America, making him a unanimous All-American selection.
!!
To put that achievement in its proper context, only two other Eagles in the 121-year history of the program have achieved unanimous All-American status -- Doug Flutie (1984) and Luke Kuechly (2010).* Williams joins some elite company as only a handful of players can claim unanimous All-American status this year:
2013 Unanimous All-Americans
RB Andre Williams, Boston College
TE Jace Amaro, Texas Tech
OL Jake Matthews, Texas A&M
OL Cyril Richardson, Baylor
OL David Yankey, Stanford
DL Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
DL Michael Sam, Missouri
LB C.J. Mosley, Alabama
DB Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State
DB Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State
Boston College's "pensive punisher" was joined by Ka'Deem Carey on both the first team AFCA and FWAA All-America teams, with Sporting News (selecting Auburn's Tre Mason as a first-team honoree) denying the AdvoCare V100 'Independence' Bowl a showdown between two unanimous AA backs.
Williams rushed for an ACC-record 2,102 rushing yards on 329 carriers; good for the ninth-best rushing season in the history of college football. He has one more game to go in his career opposite consensus All-America running back Ka'Deem Carey and the Arizona Wildcats in the I-Bowl.
Williams' list of accolades this season is as extensive and as lengthy as the distance traveled on foot.
Heisman Memorial Trophy - finalist
Doak Walker Award recipient - nation's premier running back
Associated Press All-America - first team
American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America - first team
Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) All-America - first team
Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America - first team
SportingNews' All-America - first team
Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year - finalist
SI.com All-America - first team
CBSSports.com All-America - first team
AT&T ESPN All-America - first team
USA Today Sports' All-America - first team
Athlon Sports All-America - first team
All-Atlantic Coast Conference - first team (ACSMA), unanimous selection
All-Atlantic Coast Conference - first team (Coaches), unanimous selection
George "Bulger" Lowe Award - New England's best offensive player, Gridiron Club of Greater Boston
Harry Aggannis Award, most outstanding senior football player in New England, NE Football Writers Association
Walter Camp Football Foundation National Player of the Week - Nov. 17
Three-time ACC Offensive Back of the Week - Sept. 9, Nov. 18, Nov. 25
Congratulations, Andre!
For the first time since 1949, the writers also selected a second All-America team. Boston College senior kicker Nate Freese earned second team honors, behind Texas kicker Anthony Fera. A well deserved honor for Freese!
* You'll recall that Kuechly, the Butkus, Lombardi, Lott IMPACT and Bronko Nagursky Trophy winner in 2011, was left off the coach's All-America first-team, with the coaches thinking that Nebraksa's Levonte David, Alabama's Dont'a Hightower and Georgia's Jarvis Jones all had better seasons than Kueckly. Riiight.