Tulsa's Kinne, Johnson Earn Player of the Year Awards

G.J. Kinne was named Offensive Player of the Year, while Damaris Johnson took the Special Teams prize.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:05 pm

By: News On 6

Tulsa's Kinne, Johnson Earn Player of the Year Awards

Originally Published: Dec 8, 2010 6:30 PM CDT

Oklahoma Sports Staff

TULSA, Oklahoma – Conference USA announced Wednesday that University of Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne and receiver Damaris Johnson each earned Player of the Year Awards.

The honors are chosen by the conference’s head coaches, and they selected Kinne as Offensive Player of the Year and Johnson as Special Teams Player of the Year.

Kinne is No. 1 in Conference USA with 322 total yards per game, and is second in both pass efficiency and passing yards per game. He has completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,307 yards and 28 touchdowns, and has rushed for 557 yards and another seven scores.

Meanwhile, Johnson has had a record-breaking season as a kick and punt returner. He leads the nation for the second straight year with 191.8 all-purpose yards per game, and in five different games gained more than 200 all-purpose yards.

Johnson currently has 3,308 kickoff return yards in his career, which is both a Conference USA and Football Bowl Subdivision record. He has become so dangerous that teams often choose to kick away from him; he only has 29 returns on 67 kickoffs, but still has produced 795 yards and a touchdown.

Johnson also has been a dangerous weapon in the TU offense, and leads the team with 771 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He also has rushed for 462 yards and six touchdowns.

C-USA announced a total of six conference awards Wednesday, and they were swept by three schools. Tulsa’s Kinne and Johnson, East Carolina’s Dwayne Harris was named MVP and Dominique Davis earned Newcomer of the Year, and Central Florida’s Bruce Miller was Defensive Player of the Year and Jeff Godfrey was named Freshman of the Year.