Virginia Tech freshman running back Kevin Jones is the Big East Football Rookie of the Year for 2001, the league announced Monday. This is the second time in three years that the Rookie of the Year has been from Virginia Tech. Michael Vick was voted as Rookie of the Year in 1999.

The Hokies placed four players (Andre Davis, David Pugh, Ben Taylor, and Ronyell Whitaker) on the All-Big East first team, which was dominated by 14 Miami Hurricane players. Hokie defensive tackle Chad Beasley made All-Big East second team, for a total of five Hokie players on the first and second teams.

Here is the rundown of the individual league awards:

This is the second year that Ben Taylor and David Pugh have been named All-Big East first team. Whitaker and Davis were second-teamers last year, as was Beasley.

Notable Hokie omissions from the Big East teams were Rover Kevin McCadam (83 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 interceptions), FS Willie Pile (tied for third in the league with 4 interceptions), and FB Jarrett Ferguson. The Big East does not break out the fullback position separately, instead naming two running backs per team, and all four running back spots went to tailbacks.

The total of five Hokie players on the first and second teams represents the lowest total for Virginia Tech since 1993, when only five players were named to All-Big East teams. VT's all-time lowest total was only two players for the 1992 season. All-Big East teams have been named since 1991, when the league was formed.

The Hokies set other low marks as well:

• This season marks the first time since 1994 that Virginia Tech has failed to have an offensive lineman named to either the first team or second team All-Big East. But with all five Miami offensive linemen being named to the All-Big East teams (four first-team, one second-team), that only left five available spots for other Big East players, and no Hokie offensive linemen were named.
• Davis was the only Hokie player named on the offensive teams, and this marks the fewest Hokies on the offensive teams since 1992, when center Jim Pyne was the second-team center.
• Despite the fact that the Hokies finished second in the nation and first in the conference in total defense, the four Tech players named to the first and second defensive teams represents the fewest since 1993, when only CB Tyronne Drakeford and LB Ken Brown were named first and second team, respectively.

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