GREENSBORO, N.C. – Clemson senior offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt has been voted the winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the second consecutive year, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Sunday.
The Jacobs Blocking Trophy has been awarded annually since 1953 to the player selected the most outstanding blocker in the ACC by a poll of the league’s head coaches and defensive coordinators. Hyatt becomes 13th repeat recipient of the award in league history and the first Clemson player to be recognized multiple times. This marks the ninth time in league history that a Tiger has claimed the trophy.
The trophy is given in memory of William P. Jacobs, who served as president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. Hyatt will be recognized next weekend during activities surrounding the 2018 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game, which is set for next Saturday evening at 8 p.m. at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. Hyatt and his Clemson teammates will face Pitt for the conference crown.
Hyatt, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound native of Suwanee, Georgia, is a four-year starter for the Tigers and has played more snaps from scrimmage than any player in program history. A third-team All-ACC selection as a freshman three years ago and a first-team honoree each of the previous two seasons, Hyatt won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy this year for his role in a Clemson offense leads the ACC and ranks among the nation’s top 10 in scoring (45.7 ppg) and total yards per game (539.1).
“I’m really proud of Mitch and really happy for him” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “First of all, he came here with a lot of goals in mind. He came here to make Clemson better, and he’s done that. He’s leaving here being a part of four ACC Championship Games. He’s a three-time champion, hopefully a four-time champion.”
Hyatt tackle has earned ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors three times this season.
In addition to Hyatt, previous Jacobs Blocking Trophy winners from Clemson have included fullback Doug Cline (1959), tackle Wayne Mass (1966), guard Harry Olszewski (1967), guard Joe Bostic (1977), tackle Lee Nanney (1981) and guard James Farr (1983) and guard John Phillips (1987).
“Last year (Hyatt) was the first Jacobs Trophy winner at Clemson in a long, long time, and now, he’s the first player in school history to win it in back-to-back years,” Swinney noted. “I’m just really proud of him, and again, he’s so deserving. He is the model of consistency, and I know that his peers in this league, the other coaches in this league, recognize him as such. This award exemplifies that.”
Winners of the ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy
1953 Bill Wohrman, FB, South Carolina
1954 Bill Wohrman, FB, South Carolina
1955 Bob Pellegrini, C, Maryland
1956 Hal McElhaney, FB, Duke
1957 Hal McElhaney, FB, Duke
1958 John Saunders, FB, South Carolina
1959 Doug Cline, FB, Clemson
1960 Dwight Bumgarner, T, Duke
1961 Art Gregory, T, Duke
Jim LeCompte, G, North Carolina
1962 Art Gregory, T, Duke
1963 Chuck Walker,T, Duke
1964 Eddie Kesler, FB, North Carolina
1965 John McNabb, G, Duke
1966 Wayne Mass, T, Clemson
1967 Harry Olszewski, G, Clemson
1968 Greg Shelly, T, Virginia
1969 Ralph Sonntag, T, Maryland
1970 Dan Ryczek, C, Virginia
1971 Geoff Hamlin, FB, North Carolina
1972 Ron Rusnak, G, North Carolina
1973 Bill Yoest, G, NC State
1974 Ken Huff, G, North Carolina
1975 Billy Bryan, C, Duke
1976 Billy Bryan, C, Duke
1977 Joe Bostic, G, Clemson
1978 Jim Ritcher, C, NC State
1979 Jim Ritcher, C, NC State
1980 Ron Wooten, G, North Carolina
1981 Lee Nanney, T, Clemson
1982 Dave Pacella, T, Maryland
1983 James Farr, G, Clemson
1984 Jim Dombrowski, T, Virginia
1985 Jim Dombrowski, T, Virginia
1986 Paul Kiser, G, Wake Forest
1987 John Phillips, G, Clemson
1988 Jeff Garnica, C, North Carolina
1989 Chris Port, T, Duke
1990 Ray Roberts, T, Virginia
1991 Ray Roberts, T, Virginia
1992 Ben Coleman, T, Wake Forest
1993 Mark Dixon, G, Virginia
1994 Clay Shiver, C, Florida State
1995 Clay Shiver, C, Florida State
1996 no recipient
1997 Tra Thomas, T, Florida State
1998 Craig Page, C, Georgia Tech
1999 John St. Clair, C, Virginia
2000 Tarlos Thomas, T, Florida State
2001 Brett Williams, T, Florida State
2002 Brett Williams, T, Florida State
2003 Elton Brown, G, Virginia
2004 Elton Brown, G, Virginia
2005 Eric Winston, T, Miami
2006 Josh Beekman, G-C, Boston College
2007 Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest
2008 Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia
2009 Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State
2010 Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State
2011 Blake DeChristopher, T, Virginia Tech
2012 Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina
2013 Cameron Erving, T, Florida State
2014 Cameron Erving, T-C, Florida State
2015 Roderick Johnson, T, Florida State
2016 Roderick Johnson, T, Florida State
2017 Mitch Hyatt, T, Clemson
2018 Mitch Hyatt, T, Clemson