RICHMOND, Va. – Stephon Robertson of James Madison won the Dudley Award as the top Division I Player in the state of Virginia, while Old Dominion University quarterback Taylor Heinicke was the runner-up, the Richmond Times-Dispatch announced Wednesday night at the annual Dudley Award Banquet.
Robertson was the winner while Heinicke came in second, and Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas finished third.
Heinicke was a unanimous winner of the award last season as a sophomore.
Heinicke won the Touchdown Club of Richmond Offensive Back of the Year Award, while Monarch kicker Jarod Brown was named the Specialist of the year.
Heinicke ranks among the top-six in the FBS in passing yards, touchdown passes and passing yards per game. His 533 passing yards in ODU’s first-ever FBS win at Idaho is the fourth highest in a game this season by an FBS quarterback.
For the year, Heinicke was 340-of-486 for 4,022 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also rushed 93 times for 348 yards and five touchdowns.
Heinicke passed for 300 or more yards nine times this season and has done so 21 times in his career. He tossed a season-high six TD’s in the win over Rhode Island, just one off his career-best of seven last year against Campbell.
For his career, the junior captain has completed 949-of-1,372 passes for 11,483 yards and 102 touchdowns, and has run for 20 scores. He became the first quarterback among the 10 Division I schools in Virginia to pass for 10,000 career yards.
Heinicke became just the 18th quarterback in Division I to throw for 10,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards. He was one of four quarterbacks to accomplish the feat this season, joining DeNarius McGhee (Montana State), Tajh Boyd (Clemson) and Kolton Browning (Louisiana Monroe). Of the four quarterbacks, Heinicke was the only junior among the group.
Brown led the Monarchs in scoring for the fourth-straight season, tying his own single-season record he set last season with 103 points.
The senior from Yorktown, Va. was 64-of-65 on extra points and was 13-of-20 on field goals. He set the ODU record for longest field goal twice this season, once in the Monarch’s 59-58 victory over The Citadel with a 52-yarder and he connected on a 54-yard kick at Pittsburgh. The kick at Pitt was the longest field goal by a kicker, college or professional, at Heinz Field. He made four field goals of 50-yards or longer in his career.
Brown also successfully converted four onsides kicks this season, two in The Citadel game, which led to 10 Monarch points.
Brown graduates as ODU’s leader in career extra points made and attempted, field goals made and attempted, and field goal percentage. He has kicked nine of the 10 longest field goals in school history, including four over 50 yards.