Nov. 29, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Florida State’s Rodney Hudson has been awarded the 2009 Jacobs Blocking Trophy, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced today.

The Jacobs Blocking Trophy has been awarded annually since 1953 to the player voted the most outstanding blocker in the ACC by a poll of the league’s head coaches and defensive coordinators. The trophy is given in memory of William P. Jacobs, who served as president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945.

A three-time All-ACC honoree at guard, Hudson, a 6-2, 283-pound junior, was named a first-team All-ACC selection in 2008 and 2009 and a second-team All-ACC pick as a freshman in 2007. A three-year starter for the Seminoles, he was the leader of an offensive line which paved the way for Florida State to rank 13th nationally in passing offense, 24th nationally in scoring offense and 19th nationally in total offense. He has not allowed a sack or QB pressure this season and has graded out to 88 percent for the year including a couple of 97-percent grades which FSU line coach Rick Trickett said were the highest of his 30-year career. Hudson had a streak of 31 consecutive starts broken by a knee injury against Wake Forest.

“He’s started about every game since he’s been here until he got hurt,” said Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. “He’s been our most outstanding linemen since he first started and he keeps getting better and better. It doesn’t surprise me that he won. He’s a quiet leader, very much like Charlie Ward was. He doesn’t say much but he leads by his actions, on an off the field. He deserves it.”

The Mobile, Ala., native was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week twice during the 2009 season: first for his play on Sept. 19 against Brigham Young, in the Seminoles 54-28 win over the 7th-ranked Cougars, and then for his play on Oct. 31 in Florida State’s 45-42 win over NC State.

Hudson is the seventh Florida State player to win the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, but the first since Brett Williams won the award in 2002.