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Boise State Athletics
Williams Named MW Athlete of the Year
7/20/2021 1:01:00 PM | Football
BOISE, Idaho – Former Boise State football standout Avery Williams was named the 2020-21 Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year, the league office announced Tuesday.
Williams was the conference's lone Consensus All-American for the 2020 college football season, and he swept his all-conference nominations, garnering first-team All-MW honors at defensive back, punt returner and kick returner, in addition to being named MW Special Teams Player of the Year for the second-straight season and the 2020 Jet Award winner, given annually to the nation's top return specialist.
With Williams' selection as MW Athlete of the Year, Boise State has now claimed seven such awards – among male and female honorees – since joining the conference for the 2011-12 season, more than any other school during that time and nearly double that of second-place New Mexico (four).
Other Broncos bestowed with the honor include Allie Ostrander (2017-19), Emma Bates (2014-15) and Kurt Felix (2012).
With his performance in 2020, Williams became just the third Bronco in school history to earn Consensus All-America accolades, joining offensive linemen Ryan Clady (2007) and Nate Potter (2011). He earned his place as a kick returner/all-purpose player, being named a first-team All-American on four of the five teams recognized for consensus status.
The Pasadena, Calif., native, who tied the NCAA career record with nine return touchdowns, was the kick returner on the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation teams. He was named the top return specialist by The Sporting News and the all-purpose player by the American Football Coaches Association. He also picked up a third-team honor from the Associated Press as an all-purpose player.
Overall, Williams was named to six All-America First Teams and picked up 10 total such accolades, both Boise State records.
On the conference awards front, Williams became just the third defensive college football player since 2010 to earn four all-league honors (including player of the year awards) in a conference in the same season, a list that also includes Patrick Peterson (LSU, 2010; SEC) and Jabrill Peppers (Michigan, 2016; Big Ten).
Prior to the 2019 season, Boise State had never had a student-athlete earn a conference special teams player of the year award, and Williams did it in back-to-back seasons. Additionally, Williams' accolade at punt returner was also his second-straight, the only Bronco to earn first-team all-conference honors as a return specialist in the MW.
Following the conclusion of the season, Williams was selected in the fifth round of the National Football League Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
Williams was the conference's lone Consensus All-American for the 2020 college football season, and he swept his all-conference nominations, garnering first-team All-MW honors at defensive back, punt returner and kick returner, in addition to being named MW Special Teams Player of the Year for the second-straight season and the 2020 Jet Award winner, given annually to the nation's top return specialist.
With Williams' selection as MW Athlete of the Year, Boise State has now claimed seven such awards – among male and female honorees – since joining the conference for the 2011-12 season, more than any other school during that time and nearly double that of second-place New Mexico (four).
Other Broncos bestowed with the honor include Allie Ostrander (2017-19), Emma Bates (2014-15) and Kurt Felix (2012).
With his performance in 2020, Williams became just the third Bronco in school history to earn Consensus All-America accolades, joining offensive linemen Ryan Clady (2007) and Nate Potter (2011). He earned his place as a kick returner/all-purpose player, being named a first-team All-American on four of the five teams recognized for consensus status.
The Pasadena, Calif., native, who tied the NCAA career record with nine return touchdowns, was the kick returner on the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation teams. He was named the top return specialist by The Sporting News and the all-purpose player by the American Football Coaches Association. He also picked up a third-team honor from the Associated Press as an all-purpose player.
Overall, Williams was named to six All-America First Teams and picked up 10 total such accolades, both Boise State records.
On the conference awards front, Williams became just the third defensive college football player since 2010 to earn four all-league honors (including player of the year awards) in a conference in the same season, a list that also includes Patrick Peterson (LSU, 2010; SEC) and Jabrill Peppers (Michigan, 2016; Big Ten).
Prior to the 2019 season, Boise State had never had a student-athlete earn a conference special teams player of the year award, and Williams did it in back-to-back seasons. Additionally, Williams' accolade at punt returner was also his second-straight, the only Bronco to earn first-team all-conference honors as a return specialist in the MW.
Following the conclusion of the season, Williams was selected in the fifth round of the National Football League Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
Players Mentioned
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