Dec. 21, 2011
NORFOLK, Va. -- Senior defensive tackle Ronnie Cameron (Westbury, N.Y.) was bestowed the 2011 Elite Defensive Tackle Award it was announced by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Wednesday.
"Congratulations to Ronnie Cameron, recipient of the 2011 Elite Defensive Tackle Award," said Brad Smith, CFPA Executive Director. "Cameron's on-field performance over the past two seasons highlights keen abilities in tackling and forcing turnovers."
Cameron adds to his list of honors from the 2011 season having earned First Team All-America status by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Sports Network and Second Team honors from the Associated Press.
The CAA Defensive Player of the Year, Cameron was second on the Monarch squad with 73 tackles (28 solo, 45 assisted) along with a team-leading 17 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He averaged 5.6 tackles per game, which was fourth among defensive lineman in the CAA and finished second in the league in tackles for loss averaging 1.31 per contest. His performance on the defensive line helped the Monarchs rank second in the league at the close of the regular season in rushing defense allowing 122.55 yards per contest.
Cameron captured a career-high 11 tackles along with a season-high 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks against CAA Champion Towson and also made 10 stops with three for loss against James Madison in ODU's first top-10 victory. He also led the team with 10 quarterback hurries.
The Monarch co-captain was among the 11 Monarchs to earn All-CAA honors as he guided the team to a 10-3 overall record, a second-place 6-2 mark in the CAA after being picked to finish 10th in the preseason polls, a second round playoff berth, and not only ODU's first appearance in the national polls, but a top-10 ranking.
Last season, Cameron was named a "Transfer to Watch" by the Sports Network and went on to record a team second-best 72 tackles (28 solo, 44 assisted). He tied for eighth among FCS defenders in tackles for loss making 19 stops for a loss of 70 yards, averaging 1.73 TFL's a game. In 2010, Cameron was second on the Monarchs with 5.5 sacks pushing opponent quarterbacks back 39 yards and led ODU with eight quarterback hurries.