By Chris Williams, CycloneFanatic.com Publisher
Iowa State junior linebacker A.J. Klein was honored by the Big 12 Conference on Wednesday, as the league named him Co-Defensive Player of the Year along with Oklahoma defensive end Frank Alexander.
Klein ended the 2011 regular season second on the team in tackles with 101. He also recorded two sacks an interception 78 yards for a touchdown against Missouri.
Klein wasn’t the only Cyclone honored during Wednesday’s awards announcement.
Senior offensive tackle Kelechi Osemele was named to the Big 12’s first team offensive line.
Three Cyclones were given second team honors. Those men are Hayworth Hicks (OL), Jake Knott (LB) and Leonard Johnson (CB).
Meanwhile, wide receiver Aaron Horne received Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors.
Cyclones who received league honorable mention were: Jared Barnett (QB, Offensive Freshman of the Year), Jake Lattimer (DL), Kirby Van Der Kamp (P) and James White (RB).
Below is a release sent out by the Big 12.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
| Offensive Player of the Year Robert Griffin III, Baylor, Jr., QB, Copperas Cove, Texas |
Offensive Freshman of the Year Tyler Lockett, Kansas State, WR, Tulsa, Okla. |
| Co-Defensive Players of the Year A.J. Klein, Iowa State, Jr., LB, Kimberly, Wis. Frank Alexander, Oklahoma, Sr., DE, Baton Rouge, La. |
Defensive Freshman of the Year Quandre Diggs, Texas, DB, Angleton, Texas |
| Special Teams Player of the Year Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State, Jr., PK/P, Mansfield, Texas |
Offensive Lineman of the Year Grant Garner, Oklahoma State, Sr., Mesquite, Texas |
| Offensive Newcomer of the Year Aaron Horne, Iowa State, Jr., WR, Oakland, Calif. |
Defensive Lineman of the Year Frank Alexander, Oklahoma, Sr., DE, Baton Rouge, La. |
| Defensive Newcomer of the Year Arthur Brown, Kansas State, Jr., LB, Wichita, Kan. |
Coach of the Year Bill Snyder, Kansas State, 20th Season |
| 2011 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM | ||||
| OFFENSE | ||||
| Pos. | Player | School | Class | Hometown/Previous School(s) |
| QB | Robert Griffin III | Baylor | Jr. | Copperas Cove, Texas/Copperas Cove |
| RB | Terrance Ganaway | Baylor | Sr. | DeKalb, Texas/DeKalb/Houston/Texarkana College |
| RB | Henry Josey | Missouri | So. | Angleton, Texas/Angleton |
| FB | Trey Millard | Oklahoma | So. | Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge |
| WR | Kendall Wright** | Baylor | Sr. | Pittsburg, Texas/Pittsburg |
| WR | Ryan Broyles^ | Oklahoma | Sr. | Norman, Okla./Norman |
| WR | Justin Blackmon** ^ | Oklahoma State | Jr. | Ardmore, Okla./Plainview |
| TE | Michael Egnew ^ | Missouri | Sr. | Plainview, Texas/Plainview |
| OL | Philip Blake | Baylor | Sr. | Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Champlain Regional Prep/Tyler (Texas) JC |
| OL | Kelechi Osemele | Iowa State | Sr. | Houston, Texas/Langham Creek |
| OL | Clyde Aufner | Kansas State | Sr. | Raymore, Mo./Raymore-Peculiar |
| OL | Gabe Ikard | Oklahoma | So. | Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness |
| OL | Levy Adcock** ^ | Oklahoma State | Sr. | Claremore, Okla./Sequoyah/NE Okla. A&M JC |
| OL | Grant Garner | Oklahoma State | Sr. | Mesquite, Texas/North Mesquite |
| PK | Quinn Sharp | Oklahoma State | Jr. | Mansfield, Texas/Summit |
| KR/PR | Fozzy Whittaker | Texas | Sr. | Houston, Texas/Pearland |
| DEFENSE | ||||
| Pos. | Player | School | Class | Hometown/Previous School(s) |
| DL | Ray Kibble | Kansas State | Sr. | Houston, Texas/Navarro JC |
| DL | Frank Alexander** | Oklahoma | Sr. | Baton Rouge, La./Southern Lab |
| DL | Ronnell Lewis | Oklahoma | Jr. | Dewar, Okla./Dewar |
| DL | Jamie Blatnick | Oklahoma State | Sr. | Celina, Texas/Celina |
| DL | Alex Okafor** | Texas | Jr. | Pflugerville, Texas/Pflugerville |
| LB | A.J. Klein | Iowa State | Jr. | Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly |
| LB | Arthur Brown | Kansas State | Jr. | Wichita, Kan./Miami |
| LB | Emmanuel Acho | Texas | Sr. | Dallas, Texas/St. Mark’s |
| DB | Nigel Malone | Kansas State | Jr. | Manteca, Calif./City College of San Francisco |
| DB | Jamell Fleming | Oklahoma | Sr. | Arlington, Texas/Seguin |
| DB | Brodrick Brown | Oklahoma State | Jr. | Houston, Texas/Westfield |
| DB | Markelle Martin | Oklahoma State | Sr. | Wichita Falls, Texas/Rider |
| DB | Kenny Vaccaro | Texas | Jr. | Brownwood, Texas/Early |
| P | Quinn Sharp ^ | Oklahoma State | Jr. | Mansfield, Texas/Summit |
^ – Repeat first team selection from last season.
# – Repeat second team selection from last season.
A tie in voting created an additional first-team offensive line spot and an additional second-team offensive line spot.
Players listed at each position alphabetically by school.
| 2011 ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION | |
| Baylor: | Art Briles (CoY), Elliot Coffey (LB), Ahmad Dixon (LB), Tevin Elliott (DL), Mike Hicks (DB), Sam Holl (DB), K.J. Morton (DB), Jordan Najvar (TE), Tevin Reese (WR), Cyril Richardson (OL), Terrance Williams (WR), Erik Wolfe (FB) |
| Iowa State: | Jared Barnett (off FoY), Jake Lattimer (DL), Kirby Van Der Kamp (P), James White (RB) |
| Kansas: | Tim Biere (TE), Ron Doherty (P), Steven Johnson (LB), Bradley McDougald (DB), Toben Opurum (DL), Duane Zlatnik (OL) |
| Kansas State: | Clyde Aufner (off LoY), Anthony Cantele (PK), David Garrett (DB), Ray Kibble (def. LoY), Collin Klein (off PoY & QB), Tyler Lockett (ST PofY), Ty Zimmerman (DB) |
| Missouri: | Dominique Hamilton (def. LoY & DL), Dan Hoch (OL), Kenji Jackson (DB), Luke Lambert (LB), T.J. Moe (WR), Jayson Palmgren (OL), Sheldon Richardson (def NoY & DL), Braylon Webb (def. FoY), Austin Wuebbels (OL) |
| Oklahoma: | Tyler Evans (OL), Roy Finch (RB), Michael Hunnicutt (PK), Tony Jefferson (DB), Corey Nelson (LB), Donald Stephenson (OL), Bob Stoops (CoY), Tress Way (P), Dominique Whaley (RB), Tom Wort (LB) |
| Oklahoma State: | Alex Elkins (def. NoY), Justin Gilbert (P/KR), Mike Gundy (CoY), Shaun Lewis (LB), Lane Taylor (OL) |
| Texas: | Carrington Byndom (DB), Blake Gideon (DB), Cody Johnson (FB), Jaxon Shipley (WR), David Snow (OL), Justin Tucker (PK), Kenny Vaccaro (def PoY), Mason Walters (OL), Fozzy Whittaker (ST PoY) |
| Texas A&M: | Eddie Brown Jr. (DL), Terrence Frederick (DB), Jeff Fuller (WR), Dustin Harris (P/KR), Nehemiah Hicks (TE), Trent Hunter (DB), Steven Jenkins (def NoY), Luke Joeckel (off LoY), Michael Lamothe (FB), Patrick Lewis (OL), Jake Matthews (OL), Christine Michael (RB), Damontre Moore (LB), Spencer Nealy (DL), Sean Porter (def. PoY & LB), Jonathan Stewart (LB) |
| Texas Tech: | Terrance Bullitt (DB), Lonnie Edwards (OL), Ryan Erxleben (P), Adam James (TE), Alex Torres (WR), Eric Ward (WR), DeAndre Washington (off FoY) |
