SEC Football Announces Awards for 2014 Season
Heisman Trophy finalist Amari Cooper highlighted the SEC's individual awards, which the conference announced Wednesday.
The junior wide receiver was named the Offensive Player of the Year, the only award that went to a member of the conference champion Crimson Tide.
| Offensive Player of the Year | Amari Cooper, Alabama |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Shane Ray, Missouri |
| Special Teams Player of the Year | Marcus Murphy, Missouri |
| Freshman of the Year | Nick Chubb, Georgia |
| Scholar-Athlete of the Year | Chris Conley, Georgia |
| Jacobs Blocking Trophy | La'el Collins, LSU |
| Coach of the Year | Gary Pinkel, Missouri |
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Cooper leads FBS in receptions (115) and yards (1,656) along with 14 touchdowns. He had 12 catches for 83 yards in Alabama's SEC title game win over Missouri.
"To do what he does every Saturday is impressive, man," Alabama tight end O.J. Howard told The Associated Press (h/t Yahoo Sports). "We're like, 'Wow.' We knew he could do it, but he's doing more. So that's impressive. Without Coop I don't know where we'd be right now."
East Division champion Missouri picked up three awards, with junior defensive end Shane Ray earning Defensive Player of the Year honors and senior Marcus Murphy getting named Special Teams Player of the Year. Tigers coach Gary Pinkel was chosen as Coach of the Year.
Ray led the conference with 12.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Murphy is fourth in the country in kickoff return average, at 29.88 yards per return, along with two TDs. And he also had a punt return score.
Pinkel previously was named Mid-American Coach of the Year in 1995, when he was at Toledo, and was co-Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2007.
Georgia players were honored as Freshman of the Year (running back Nick Chubb) and Scholar-Athlete of the Year (senior wide receiver Chris Conley), while LSU senior offensive tackle La'el Collins was named the Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner.
Chubb ran for 1,281 yards and 12 TDs, gaining at least 100 yards in each of the last seven games. Conley, set to graduate this month with a degree in journalism, has a 3.32 GPA.
Collins is projected by CBS Sports as a first-round draft pick.
The SEC individual awards were voted on by the league's head coaches, who could not choose their own players.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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