Johnson, Line To Be Honored By Touchdown Club Of Columbus

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Johnson, Line To Be Honored By Touchdown Club Of Columbus

Feb. 10, 2012

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU seniors-to-be Darius Johnson and Zach Line are among the players who will be honored as "Players To Watch" at the 57th Annual Touchdown Club of Columbus Awards Banquet on Sat., Feb. 11, 2012 at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in downtown Columbus.

Every year, the TDC of Columbus bestows the honor of Player to Watch on multiple returning football student-athletes from around the nation, and scheduled to attend and receive the awards this year are Johnson, Line, Michigan State running back Le'Veon Bell, Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, Georgia defensive standouts Jarvis Jones and Bacarri Rambo, Pittsburgh running back Ray Graham, Sam Houston State running back Tim Flanders, and Ohio State Buckeyes Johnathan Hankins, John Simon, Jake Stoneburner, Ryan Shazier, Carlos Hyde and Michael Bennett.

Line led C-USA in both rushing (122 ypg) and scoring (10.2 ppg), and rated seventh and ninth nationally in the categories, respectively, in 2011. He rushed for 100-plus yards in eight of his 10 games this season, and has topped the century mark in 13 of his last 17 overall. He ran for 1,224 yards in 2011 and has 2,907 yards in his career, which ranks seventh all-time at SMU. With two 1,000+ yard seasons, Line is just the fifth player at SMU with multiple 1,000-yard seasons (Reggie Dupard (3), Eric Dickerson (2), Keylon Kincade (2), Alvin Maxson (2)). He set a new school record by rushing for five TDs in the win over Northwestern State. He had 17 rushing TDs in 2011, just two short of the single-season school record of 19, set by Eric Dickerson in 1981. Line's 34 career rushing TDs are third all-time at SMU.

Johnson has been MVP in back-to-back bowl games for SMU. In 2010, he was the hero of the Armed Forces Bowl, earning Team MVP honors after recording a season-high 152 receiving yards and a TD. He then wrapped up 2011 with a seven-catch, 120-yard, one-TD performance in SMU's BBVA Compass Bowl win over Pitt. The first-team All-C-USA performer and Biletnikoff Award Watch List member broke out in 2011 with an eight-catch, 127-yard game against Northwestern State and followed that up with a two-TD, 10-catch, 116-yard day at Memphis. He put his stamp on the TCU win, notching 152 receiving yards for his third straight 100-yard game and tying career highs with 12 catches and two receiving TDs. He returned to the century club with a seven-catch, 135-yard performance in the Tulane win and wrapped up the regular season with a 123-yard, one-score performance in the Rice win. His 1,118 receiving yards this season ranked fourth all-time at SMU. He had six 100-yard games this season (T-2nd at SMU) - 10 for his career (3rd at SMU) - and has three games with 10 or more catches, tying for third at SMU. In all, he has 168 career receptions for 2,067 career receiving yards (both top 8 at SMU). He ranked fourth in C-USA with an 88-yard-per-game average and sixth in the league with a six-catch-per-game rate.

Also in attendance will be graduated standouts Case Keenum of Houston (Sammy Baugh Award), Kellen Moore of Boise State (best college quarterback), running back Montee Ball of Wisconsin (Archie Griffin Award) and Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder (Woody Hayes Coach of the Year).

[Mustangs_Maroons]

Good for DJ and Zach! Go Mustangs!

[Buddha]

That's a cool honor for these guys. Congratulations.

[lwjr]

Great honor for two good Mustangs, Congratulations!

[JonesDoe]

Congratulations Mustangs..