Dec. 11, 2012
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion sophomore quarterback Taylor Heinicke continues to roll in postseason honors, earning 2012 Offensive Player of the Year honors and first-team All-America from Beyond Sports Network. ODU punter Jonathan Plisco earned third-team honors while wide receiver Nick Mayers and defensive tackle Chris Burnette were named honorable mention.
Heinicke became the first player in FCS history to throw for 5,000 yards, breaking Steve McNair's record of 4,863 yards he set for Alcorn State in 1994.
A native of Atlanta, Ga., Heinicke led the FCS with 5,076 passing yards, 390.5 passing yards per game, 44 passing touchdowns and 55 total touchdowns.
Heinicke also led the FCS with 426.62 yards of total offense per game and finished just 253 yards shy of Steve McNair's FCS record of 5,799 yards.
Along with setting the single-season passing yardage record, Heinicke also set the record for completions with 398. He surpassed Brett Gordon's record of 385 he set for Villanova in 2002.
A senior from Newport News, Plisco punted 28 times for a 45.0 yard average which would have qualified fifth nationally if he had enough punts to qualify. He had eight punts inside the 20 and eight of 50 yards or longer, including a season long of 61-yards.
Mayers had the best season of any wide receiver in ODU's short history, with 79 catches for 1,233 yards and 16 touchdowns. He is tied for second in the nation with 16 TD passes and 17th with 94.8 yards per game.
Burnette led all CAA defensive linemen with 73 tackles. He also recorded seven tackles for loss and four sacks. Burnette also recorded an interception against Towson and forced a team-best three fumbles.A native of Baltimore, Md., Burnette also earned first-team All-CAA accolades.