Dec. 6, 2017
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- A day after seven Auburn players were named to All-SEC teams, the conference handed out individual awards - as voted on by the coaches - to Auburn's Kerryon Johnson, Daniel Carlson and Braden Smith.
Johnson was named the SEC offensive player of the year. The junior running back, who was a Doak Walker Award semifinalist, led the conference with 1,320 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns. His 17 touchdowns during league play were three more than any other SEC player, and his 15 rushing touchdowns in SEC games tied Cam Newton's record at Auburn.
Johnson becomes the fourth Auburn player to win the award, joining the likes of Jason Campbell (2004), Newton (2010) and Tre Mason (2013).
For Carlson, it was the second year in a row he was chosen as the SEC special teams player of the year. The senior kicker leads the SEC with 117 points and is the co-leader with 21 made field goals. The Lou Groza Award finalist also became the conference's all-time leading scorer earlier this season. His 471 career points is No. 5 all-time nationally.
Smith took home the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given to the best blocker in the conference. The senior offensive lineman, who started all 13 games at right guard this season, earned a grade of 88.7 from Pro Football Focus -- second-best among offensive linemen in the SEC.
The freshmen All-SEC team is expected to be announced Thursday.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf