FSU’s Winston voted ACC player of year

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has picked up two more

individual awards from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The ACC on Wednesday selected Winston as both its overall and

offensive player of the year, one day after he was picked as rookie

of the year.

Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald also was voted the

ACC’s defensive player of the year.

Winston is the first redshirt freshman in the 61-year history of

the league to win the overall award.

He received 47 of 65 votes from members of the Atlantic Coast

Sports Media Association for the overall award. Boston College

running back Andre Williams had 13 votes and Donald had four.

Winston led the Seminoles to a No. 1 ranking and a berth in the

ACC championship game opposite No. 20 Duke.

He is the first Florida State player to win the award since

Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke in 2000.

Winston leads the nation with a 192.6 pass efficiency rating, is

tops in the ACC with 3,490 yards passing and 35 touchdown passes

and has emerged as a leading Heisman candidate.

He’s one touchdown shy of the FBS record for freshmen, set by

Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford in 2007.

Florida State ranks second nationally in scoring, averaging 53.7

points. The Seminoles are seventh in total offense with an average

of 526.1 total yards.

In separate offensive player of the year voting, Winston had 44

votes to 19 for Williams and two for Clemson QB Tajh Boyd.

Donald had 44 votes for the defensive award to 10 for Wake

Forest nose tackle Nikita Whitlock and eight for Florida State

cornerback Lamarcus Joyner.

Donald leads the nation with 26 1/2 tackles for losses, and has

10 sacks and four forced fumbles. His blocked extra point in the

Panthers’ 17-16 win over Syracuse on Nov. 23 made them bowl

eligible.