Clemson football hands out Brian Dawkins Award, team honors |
CLEMSON, S.C. — Former Clemson defensive back and eight-year NFL veteran Coty Sensabaugh received the Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award at Clemson's annual football banquet on Saturday evening.
Dabo Swinney has annually presented the honor to a former Clemson player who has consistently demonstrated the qualities of leadership, community service and others that are consistent with excellence since graduating from the Clemson program. Recipients must be out of school at least 10 years to qualify. Dawkins, who played 16 years in the NFL and was named to nine Pro Bowls and was a finalist for many public service awards, was the first recipient in 2013. A native of Kingsport, Tenn., Sensabaugh arrived at Clemson in the fall of 2007 as an unheralded recruit. After redshirting the 2007 season, he became a consistent contributor in the secondary, playing 52 career games between 2008-11. As a senior in 2011, he played 993 defensive snaps as a starting cornerback, still the most by a defensive player in Clemson history. He led the team with 13 pass breakups and was named as one of the team’s permanent captains, as his leadership contributed to Clemson winning its first ACC Championship in 20 years. Sensabaugh was a fourth-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in the 2012 NFL Draft. He played eight seasons and 105 regular season games in his NFL career that spanned 2012-19. Sensabaugh was known for accomplishments both on the gridiron and off over his career. In 2017, he was one of five NFL players to receive the Daily Point of Light Tribute Award, one of the most outstanding volunteer service awards in the philanthropic community. He was featured on ESPN for his partnership with Food for the Hungry, an organization that provides freshwater systems to communities in Haiti. In July 2016, Sensabaugh married his wife, Dominique, a fellow Clemson graduate, in Atlanta. In lieu of gifts, the couple asked wedding guests to make a contribution to Soles4Souls, an organization that provides shoes to the needy. Instead of going on a honeymoon, the couple traveled to the Dominican Republic to distribute shoes to people in need. He has also raised money in support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of his late brother Jamaar, who died of cancer at age 16. Sensabaugh has been active in his support of Clemson’s P.A.W. Journey program. He and Dominique also formed the Sensabaugh Family Foundation, which serves to improve vulnerable communities through financial development, domestic and global philanthropy and youth empowerment. Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients 2013: Brian Dawkins, 1992-95 2014: Bill Smith, 1977-81 2015: Warren Forney, 1991-95 2016: Jerry Butler, 1975-78 2017: Jeff Davis, 1978-81 2018: Mark Richardson, 1979-82 2019: Michael Allen, 1995-98 2020: Michael Dean Perry, 1984-87 2021: Carl Martin, 1979-82 2022: Dexter Davis, 1988-90 2023: Patrick Sapp, 1992-95 2024: Levon Kirkland, 1987-91 2025: Coty Sensabaugh, 2007-11 In addition to Sensabaugh’s selection the award bearing Dawkins’ name, Clemson's list of awards presented at the team's annual awards banquet on Saturday afternoon is included below. OFFENSIVE AWARDS Solid Rock Award Most solid, consistent and dependable player(s) at each position QB Cade Klubnik RB Phil Mafah OL Blake Miller Hustle Award Consistent effort and served as an inspiration to teammates 12th Man Award RB Jay Haynes OL Trent Howard Iron Man Award Dependable player with resilient persistence and leadership RB Phil Mafah OL Tristan Leigh OL Walker Parks Most Improved Offensive Players of the Year RB Jay Haynes C Ryan Linthicum WR Cole Turner Rookies of the Year WR T.J. Moore WR Bryant Wesco Jr. Defensive Scout Team Players of the Year LB Joseph Roberto Tiger Pride Award (MVP) TE Jake Briningstool QB Cade Klubnik RB Phil Mafah WR Antonio Williams Future Impact Players WR Misun Kelley OL Elyjah Thurmon PAW Award Most blue collar/unselfish players OL Walker Parks WR Adam Randall DEFENSIVE AWARDS Solid Rock Award Most solid, consistent and dependable player(s) at each position DE T.J. Parker DT Payton Page DT Peter Woods LB Wade Woodaz Hustle Award Consistent effort and served as an inspiration to teammates LB Sammy Brown DT Payton Page CB Avieon Terrell 12th Man Award LB Sammy Brown DE Cade Denhoff Iron Man Award Dependable player with resilient persistence and leadership LB Barrett Carter DT Payton Page DE T.J. Parker CB Avieon Terrell Most Improved Defensive Players of the Year LB Dee Crayton DE Cade Denhoff Rookies of the Year LB Sammy Brown CB Ashton Hampton Offensive Scout Team Players of the Year Tiger Pride Award (MVP) LB Barrett Carter S R.J. Mickens DE T.J. Parker CB Avieon Terrell LB Wade Woodaz Future Impact Players LB Dee Crayton DT Stephiylan Green PAW Award Most blue collar/unselfish players S Khalil Barnes LB Barrett Carter LB Wade Woodaz DL Peter Woods SPECIAL TEAMS AWARDS Most Improved Special Teams Players of the Year LB Dee Crayton Offensive Special Teams Players of the Year WR Adam Randall WR/H Clay Swinney Defensive Special Teams Players of the Year DE Cade Denhoff DB Ronan Hanafin Special Teams Scout Team Players of the Year LB Joseph Roberto Specialists of the Year PK Nolan Hauser STRENGTH AWARDS NSCA Strength and Conditioning All-American Candidates RB Phil Mafah DT Payton Page OL Walker Parks Dedication Award DB Ronan Hanafin OL Tristan Leigh DT Payton Page Power Hour Development Award S Noah Dixon LB Joseph Roberto All-In Accountability Challenge Champion Captains All-In Accountability Challenge Champion Team Members S Khalil Barnes TE Christian Bentancur LB Griffin Batt DT Vic Burley RB David Eziomume PK Hogan Morton TE Colby Shaw ADDITIONAL AWARDS Most Inspirational Player of the Year OL Tristan Leigh Spiritual Leadership Award WR Clay Swinney P.A.W. Journey First-Class Man Award OL Tristan Leigh P.A.W. Journey Service Above Self Award PK Hogan Morton P.A.W. Journey Promising Professional Award OL Trent Howard P.A.W. Journey Young Alumni Award Travis Blanks (2012-15) P.A.W. Journey P.A.T. Man of the Year RB Phil Mafah Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award Coty Sensabaugh (2007-11) GPA Awards Overall: PK Hogan Morton Graduate: PK Quinn Castner Senior: RB Wise Segars Jr. Junior: LB Wade Woodaz Sophomore: S Caleb Nix Redshirt Freshman: WR Tristan Martinez True Freshmen: QB Ethan Anderson, LB Sammy Brown, DT Aidan Hydrick, LB Billy Wilkes True Tigers of the Year Presented by Nieri Family Student-Athlete Enrichment Center staff S Khalil Barnes DB Ronan Hanafin WR Antonio Williams King of the CASL Award Most recovery sessions in the Clemson Applied Science Lab RB Phil Mafah Tim Bourret Award Player who best represents himself, his teammates and Clemson University in the media LB Barrett Carter Team Captains Permanent team captains for 2024 to be immortalized in the Tiger Walk plaza TE Jake Briningstool LB Barrett Carter RB Phil Mafah S R.J. Mickens DT Payton Page
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