Football's Harvin Tabbed SEC Freshman Of The Year
Wednesday, December 6, 2006 | Football
University of Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin (Virginia Beach, Va.) has been named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in a vote by the league's coaches, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Harvin garnered the honor after running for a career-high 105 yards and a touchdown on six carries (17.5 yards per rush) and catching five passes for 62 yards and another score in the SEC Championship Game, becoming just the second rookie in the 15-year history of the title game to take home MVP honors. He has collected 25 catches for 367 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also running for 406 yards and two scores on just 36 carries (11.3 avg.) this season; his 773 yards of total offense on just 61 touches give him an average of 12.7 yards per touch that ranks first nationally among freshmen. He earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Sept. 11, after torching UCF for 99 yards and a TD on for catches and gaining 11 yards on two carries. Harvin was recently named a first-team Freshman All-American by Rivals.com and The Sporting News' SEC Offensive Freshman of the Year. He also swept the 2006 SEC Freshman of the Year awards, garnering the Associated Press' accolade on Monday.
The Virginia Beach, Va., native is the sixth player in school history to earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors, and joins 2000 recipient Jabar Gaffney as the only UF wide receivers to take home the title. The Gators have now claimed the SEC rookie of the year honor in three of the last four seasons, as quarterback Chris Leak (Charlotte, N.C.) took the award in 2003 and linebacker Brandon Siler (Orlando, Fla.) was the 2004 recipient. Florida's six Freshmen of the Year are an all-time league high, ranking above Georgia's five honorees.
Second-ranked Florida will take to the field again on Jan. 8, 2007, when it will meet Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz. UF's appearance in the BCS National Championship Game will mark the third time in school history that it has entered a bowl game with a chance to win the national title. The Gators claimed the 1996 NCAA crown with a 52-20 victory over top-ranked Florida State in the Sugar Bowl behind a three-touchdown, 306-yard performance from Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. The Gators also played for the national championship in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl after posting a 12-0 regular-season record.
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