The University of Akron Athletics
Dwight Smith Named Thorpe Finalist, FWAA All-American
November 21 | Football
AKRON - Zip senior defensive back Dwight Smith (Detroit, Mich./Central) has been selected as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and a member of the Football Writers' Association of America (FWAA) All-America Team.
Smith, who is tied for the national leadership in interceptions with 10 in 11 games, has been invited to ESPN's College Football Awards Show, broadcast from Disney World in Orlando, Fla., Dec. 7, at which time the Thorpe winner will be announced. Smith, Mississippi State's Fred Smoot and Wisconsin's Jamar Fletcher are the three finalists for the award recognizing the nation's premier defensive back.
The FWAA selects a 25-man All-America Team and Smith becomes the first Mid-American Conference player named to the Writers' team since Marshall's Randy Moss in 1997 and the first defensive player chosen since Miami's Brad Cousino in 1974. He is Akron's first Division I-A first-team grid All-American and the program's first first-teamer since Mike Clark earned I-AA notice in 1986.
Joining Smith in the FWAA's defensive backfield are: Fletcher, Miami's (Fla.) Edward Reed, and Florida's Lito Sheppard.
In addition, for his performance during Akron's season-ending 34-6 win at Kent State, Smith is the MAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. The 5-11, 205-pounder scored two defensive touchdowns and collected his 10th interception of the season against the Golden Flashes. He kept pace with Louisville's Anthony Floyd, who also picked off his 10th pass on Saturday.
Smith also is under consideration for the MAC's Defensive Player of the Year and Vern Smith Conference MVP awards. The Vern Smith award will be announced Dec. 1 on the eve of the MAC Championship Game in Huntington, W. Va.
Coach Lee Owens' Zips closed their season with a share of the Mid-American Conference East Division title when Marshall lost at Ohio, 38-28. Akron wound up 6-5 and put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1985-86.
Following is the FWAA All-American Team:
FOOTBALL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
2000 ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Josh Heupel, Oklahoma
RB - Damien Anderson, Northwestern
RB - LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU
WR - Antonio Bryant, Pittsburgh
WR - Marvin Minnis, Florida State
TE - Brian Natkin, UTEP
C - Dominic Raiola, Nebraska
OL - Chris Brown, Georgia Tech
OL - Steve Hutchinson, Michigan
OL - Leonard Davis, Texas
OL - Joaquin Gonzalez, Miami
DEFENSE
DL - Andre Carter, California
DL - John Henderson, Tennessee
DL - Jamal Reynolds, Florida State
DL - Justin Smith, Missouri
LB - Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma
LB - Levar Fisher, N.C. State
LB - Dan Morgan, Miami
DB - Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin
DB - Edward Reed, Miami
DB - Lito Sheppard, Florida
DB - DWIGHT SMITH, AKRON
SPECIAL TEAMS
K - Jonathan Ruffin, Cincinnati
P - Brian Morton, Duke
KR - Santana Moss, Miami
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