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Edmunds named a Butkus Award finalist, Gallo earns CoSIDA Academic
Pair of Hokies recognized for athletic, academic prowess
November 20, 2017
BLACKSBURG – Junior linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was named one of five finalists for the Butkus Award on Monday. He is seeking to become the first Virginia Tech player to earn this prestigious honor as the nation’s top linebacker. Edmunds leads Tech with 93 tackles (49 solo) and is tied for fifth among all ACC players, averaging 8.5 tackles per game.
A 2016 All-ACC selection, the Danville, Virginia native is tied for sixth in the ACC with 11.0 tackles for loss. He has also registered 3.5 sacks, four QB hurries and two passes defensed. He also wore the honorary Beamer No. 25 jersey against Georgia Tech on Nov. 11 for his prowess on special teams. He has been Tech’s top tackler in four games this season.
Edmunds is a key component on Tech’s defense that leads the nation in opponent completion percentage (46.6%) and is tied for fewest Red Zone scores allowed (16). The Hokies are second in the nation in third-down defense (25.7%) and are sixth in scoring defense (14.7 ppg).
The other four finalists for the 2017 Butkus Award include Devin Bush (Michigan), T.J. Edwards (Wisconsin), Dorian O’Daniel (Clemson) and Roquan Smith (Georgia).
Full Release on 2017 Butkus Award Finalists
Edmunds is also in contention for The Lott Award IMPACT Player of the Week.
LB @maine_savage23 had 7 tackles, 2.5 tackles for losses, one sack and 2 quarterback hurries for @VT_Fotball! #CharacterCounts
— Lott IMPACT Trophy (@TheLottTrophy) November 19, 2017
Vote for him for the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week: https://t.co/AeS7vaokao pic.twitter.com/c9eRap1aK3
Senior center Eric Gallo has been named CoSIDA Academic first-team All-District. CoSIDA annually honors the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Gallo gets it done on and off the gridiron, boasting a 3.42 GPA and amassing 40 games played for the Hokies, including 22 consecutive starts at center. The finance major has already completed two internships at the prestigious Wadsworth group at Morgan Stanley, and was tabbed the 2017 Skelton Award, the Virginia Tech athletic department’s highest academic honor.
Gallo, a center, has been a key cog on Tech’s offensive line, making protection calls and adjustments at the line of scrimmage, while anchoring up front for freshman quarterback Josh Jackson, who owns the most passing yards (2,600) and touchdown passes (18) among FBS freshmen signal callers.
The Richboro, Pennsylvania native was a part of an offense that set or tied 10 single-season offensive team records in 2016, including points, total touchdowns and total offense.
Full Release on CoSIDA Academic Honors
The Hokies will conclude the regular season this Friday in Charlottesville against Virginia at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Tech has won its last 13 consecutive meetings with the Cavaliers.
For updates on Virginia Tech football, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Football
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