Football: Wiley Voted State Player of the Year
January 20, 2004 09:40 AM | General
January 20, 2004
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WHEELING, W.Va. -- Grant Wiley, a first team All-America linebacker and West Virginia University record-setter, has been voted winner of the 70th annual Hardman Award as the state Amateur Athlete of the Year.
The West Virginia Sports Writers Association will honor Wiley at the 58th annual Victory Awards Dinner on May 2 in Parkersburg.
Wiley is the first Mountaineer football player to receive the award since Major Harris was a two-time honoree for 1988-89.
The West Virginia senior became the ninth Mountaineer to earn consensus All-America honors and the first since linebacker Canute Curtis in 1996. Wiley was a first team choice by The Associated Press, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, the Football Writers and other selections. Other consensus All-Americans, besides Wiley and Curtis, have been Aaron Beasley, Todd Sauerbrun, Mike Compton, Brian Jozwiak, Darryl Talley, Bruce Bosley and Ira Rodgers.
A four-year starter, Wiley was a first team All-Big East honoree and one of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation's top defensive player. The Trappe, Pa. native was West Virginia's top tackler during an 8-4 record regular season which included a Big East co-championship with the University of Miami. He charted 158 stops, produced 14.5 tackles for losses and forced an NCAA-best seven fumbles this season. He also intercepted two passes.
Wiley departs West Virginia as the school's all-time leader with nearly 500 tackles plus tackles for losses and solo stops.
His most productive single game effort last season came in a nationally-televised 22-20 setback at Miami when he had 18 tackles.
"Grant is the most competitive guy on the defense, if not the entire team," Mountaineer defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel says. "His drive for the game is why I wanted this guy leading our defense."
Wiley also was selected as a team co-captain with running back Quincy Wilson and defensive backs Brian King and Lance Frazier. Wiley and Wilson, a third team All-America choice by The Associated Press, were named team Most Valuable Players.
The runnerup for the Hardman Award was Brandon Barrett of Martinsburg High School, a two-time Kennedy Award winner and four-time football all-stater plus basketball all-stater last season. Other top vote-getters were 2000 honoree Pat Carter of Huntington, who extended his W. Va. Golf Amateur title record to nine in a row; Quincy Wilson; and four-sport Williamstown High standout Shane Smith.
