The Boise State football team held its annual banquet Sunday, where team awards for the 2017 season were announced.
The top honors went to senior wide receiver Cedrick Wilson (Team MVP), sophomore running back Alexander Mattison (Offensive MVP) and redshirt junior linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (Defensive MVP).
Mattison earned Offensive MVP after confidently picked up the mantle of Boise State's No. 1 back, standing at 1,103 rushing yards through the regular season, earning him All-Mountain West Second Team honors. The sophomore has rushed for 12 touchdowns this season and produced four 100-yard games. He has also made an impact in the receiving game, making 28 catches for 284 yards and a score this season.
Wilson, who was named the team’s Offensive MVP in 2016, stepped up to earned Team MVP honors in 2017. Wilson was named to the Mountain West First Team earlier this week, and finished the regular season with 1,290 receiving yards on 73 receptions with six touchdowns. Wilson has now had two-straight 1,000-yard seasons, a feat accomplished by only two other Bronco receivers.
Vander Esch earned Defensive MVP honors after being named the Mountain West’s Defensive Player of the Year and the Defensive MVP of the MW Championship game. The redshirt junior linebacker led the team with 129 tackles (81 total), while collecting three sacks, three interceptions and forcing three fumbles on the season.
Hampton earned the team’s Academic Honors & Academic Achievement Award, for his work in the classroom. The redshirt senior was named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given annually to the top scholar-athlete in college football, and to the 2017 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Class, for which he earned a $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. Hampton has also been voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 Football Team for the second-straight year, with a chance to become a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. On the field, Hampton was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team, and won the team’s Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award.
Redshirt senior tight end Jake Roh earned the Lyle Smith “Bleed Blue” Award, a new honor this season. In its first year, the award is given to the Bronco who best represents the legacy of legendary coach Lyle Smith, embodying all the qualities of a true Bronco.
A complete list of the Broncos award winners can be found below:
Team Most Valuable Player - Cedrick Wilson (WR, Sr.)
Most Valuable Offensive Player - Alexander Mattison (RB, So.)
Most Valuable Defensive Player - Leighton Vander Esch (WLB, RS Jr.)
Lyle Smith “Bleed Blue” Award - Jake Roh (TE, RS Sr.)
Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award - Mason Hampton (OL, RS Sr.)
Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award - Sonatane Lui (NT, So.)
Special Teams Most Valuable Player of the Year - Avery Williams (CB, RS Fr.)
Hammer Award - Brock Barr (WR, RS Sr.)
Academic Honors & Academic Achievement Award - Mason Hampton (OL, RS Sr.)
Plow Horse Award (Strength Award) - Ryan Wolpin (RB, RS Sr.)
Denny Erickson Valor Award - Gabe Perez (SLB, RS Sr.)
Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year - Daniel Cantrell (LS, Fr.)
Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year - Tyreque Jones (S, Fr.)
Special Teams Scout Team Player of the Year - Roman Kafentzis (SLB, Fr.)
