OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss senior linebacker Patrick Willis was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press, the organization announced Monday. Junior running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis joined Willis on the AP’s All-SEC first team.
Willis, a native of Bruceton, Tenn., led the SEC in tackles for the second straight season. This year he was the only SEC defender to average more than 10 tackles a game with 11.4. His 137 stops rank sixth in the nation, and he’s third in solo tackles with more than seven a game.
Winner of this year’s Conerly Trophy (awarded to state’s top player), Willis is also a finalist for the Butkus and Nagurski (the winner of which will be announced tonight) awards.
Green-Ellis rushed for 999 yards, the fourth-highest total in school history and set a school record with 234 rushing attempts on the season. He finished second in the conference to Arkansas’ Darren McFadden (1,558 yards), the AP Offensive Player of the Year.
The New Orleans, La., native eclipsed the 100-yard mark in rushing four times including a career-best 135 yards on 21 carries vs. No. 9 Georgia.
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