Stanford football has earned a bevy of individual recognitions since it clinched the Pac-12 Championship on Nov. 30, with senior tight end Zach Ertz becoming just the seventh unanimous All-American in Stanford history and the first tight end in college football to earn that honor since 2004.
Ertz was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation to earn the unanimous distinction. Since the turn of the century, the only other Cardinal players to earn every recognized first-team selection are David DeCastro in 2011 and Toby Gerhart in 2009.
Junior offensive lineman David Yankey became a consensus All-American last week, earning recognition by Sporting News and the Associated Press. Ertz and Yankey are the 30th and 31st consensus All-Americans in school history.
The versatile Yankey, who has played at every offensive line position but center this season, was also one of two winners of the Pac-12 Morris Trophy, given to the top linemen in the conference, on Tuesday. Yankey earned the award after a vote by Pac-12 defensive linemen.
Not to be outdone by their offensive brethren, outside linebacker Trent Murphy and free safety Ed Reynolds represented Stanford’s dominant defense on the Associated Press third team.
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Senior wide receiver Drew Terrell, who caught the game-tying touchdown in the Pac-12 Championship, accepted an invitation to play in the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game earlier this month. The Jan. 11 showcase, which is in its second year, featured six NFL draft picks and 61 other NFL training camp participants in 2012.
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Defensive line coach Randy Hart was named the FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year on Monday. The third-year assistant coached a Cardinal defense whose 56 sacks (and counting) are a school record.
FootballScoop also named Stanford’s Matt Doyle its Director of Football Operations of the Year on Thursday. In his sixth season in that position at Stanford, Doyle “keeps Stanford organized,” head coach David Shaw told GoStanford.com. “Matt keeps our coaches and players informed, in line and in position to be successful.”