Huskies Burr-Kirven Named Pat Tillman Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year

UW linebacker Burr-Kirven was awarded the prestigious  Pac-12 Pat Tillman  Defensive Player of the year Tuesday afternoon. The 6″0 221 pound linebacker from Menlo Park,  California was the lynchpin in a Husky defense that  was 12th in the nation in total defense ( 185.4 yards allowed a game,) led the Pac-12 in pass defense(185.yards allowed per game) and  was second  to the Utah Utes in rushing defense ( 114.4 yards allowed per game) Burr-Kirven’s 165 tackles led the Nation and his 12.7 tackles per game ranks  third-best in the FBS. 

“It’s pretty crazy,” Burr-Kiven told reporter Mike Yam on the Pac-12 Network’s Inside Pac-12 Football – All-Conference Awards show. “It’s something I don’t think I ever imagined having an opportunity to win when I first got here in 2015.”
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It is the second consecutive year that a player from the UW program has earned the award. Former teamate Vita Vea earned the Pac-12’s top defensive player of the year in 2017

“It was so cool to see that happen,” Burr-Kirven said to Yam on Vea’s accomplishment in 2017. “It just means so much to be part of a tradition of so many great defensive players, especially to follow one of my own teammates.”

Burr-Kirven becomes the fifth different Husky – six times overall – to be named the Conference’s top defensive player. Besides Vea, he joins the likes of Jason Chorak (1996), Dave Hoffmann (1992) and two-time winner Steve Emtman (1990 and 1991).

The award also has extra special meaning to Burr-Kirven, as it is named after a hometown hero that he admired while growing up in the Bay Area.

“Obviously it’s named after Pat Tillman and that was a guy from the Bay Area that I always looked up to,” he said. “I remember reading books about him and watching his documentary way back when it came out. It’s an award that means a whole lot to me. I just think it’s a really special thing that I got to have happen this year.”

Burr-Kirven is also the first player in the Conference’s history to garner both Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a Player of the Year award. The comparative literature major boasts a 3.69 grade point average and is a three-time member of both the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 All-American team and All-Pac-12 Academic First Team.

On  Tuesday, Burr-Kirven was named first team All-Pac-12 after earning second-team recognition as a junior. He was one of six Huskies to earn All-Pac-12 first-team accolades. Three others were named to the second team and four were honorable mention. 

	First Team Offense		Position		Second Team Offense
QB	Gardner Minshew II, Grad,.  Washington State		QB		K.J. Costello, JR Stanford
RB	Eno Benjamin, So., Arizona State		RB		Myles Gaskin, Sr., Washington
RB	J.J. Taylor, RSo., Arizona		RB		Zack Moss, Jr., Utah
WR	N’Keal Harry, Jr., Arizona State (1)		WR		JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Sr., Stanford
WR	Laviska Shenault, So., Colorado		WR		Dillon Mitchell, Jr., Oregon
TE	Caleb Wilson, RJr., UCLA		TE		Kaden Smith, Jr., Stanford
OL	Jordan Agasiva, Sr., Utah		OL		Cohl Cabral, Jr., Arizona State
OL	Jackson Barton, Sr., Utah		OL		Chuma Edoga, Sr., USC
OL	Andre Dillard, RSr., Washington State		OL		Nate Herbig, Jr., Stanford
OL	Nick Harris, Jr., Washington		OL		Shane Lemieux, Jr., Oregon
OL	Walker Little, So., Stanford		OL		Abe Lucas, RFr., Washington State
OL	Kaleb McGary, RSr., Washington

	First Team Defense			Second Team Defense
DL	Bradlee Anae, Jr., Utah		DL	Porter Gustin, Sr., USC
DL	Leki Fotu, Jr., Utah		DL	John Penisini, Jr., Utah
DL	Greg Gaines, RSr., Washington		DL	Logan Tago, Sr., Washington State
DL	Jalen Jelks, Sr., Oregon		DL	Jay Tufele, RFr., USC
LB	Ben Burr-Kirven, Sr., Washington		LB	Troy Dye, Jr., Oregon
LB	Chase Hansen, Sr., Utah		LB	Cameron Smith, Sr., USC
LB	Jordan Kunaszyk, RSr., California		LB	Evan Weaver, Jr., California
DB	Paulson Adebo, RFr., Stanford		DB	Julian Blackmon, Jr., Utah
DB	Jaylon Johnson, So., Utah		DB	Marquise Blair, Sr., Utah
DB	Byron Murphy, RSo., Washington		DB	Myles Bryant, Jr., Washington
DB	Taylor Rapp, RJr., Washington (1)		DB	Iman Marshall, Sr., USC
			DB	Adarius Pickett, RSr., UCLA

	First Team Specialists			Second Team Specialists
PK	Matt Gay, Sr., Utah (1)		PK	Jet Toner, Jr., Stanford
P	Mitch Wishnowsky, Sr., Utah (2)		P	Jake Bailey, Sr., Stanford
RS	Britain Covey, So., Utah		RS	N’Keal Harry, Jr., Arizona State
AP/ST	Brenden Schooler, Jr., Oregon (1)		AP/ST	Elijah Molden, So., Washington

RS=return specialist
AP/ST=all-purpose/special teams player (not a kicker or returner)
(1) Two-time first team selection
(2) Three-time first team selection

No Tiebreaker: There was a tie for the fifth offensive lineman for first team, so that team is represented with six offensive linemen. There also was a tie for the fourth defensive back for second team, so that team is represented with five defensive backs.

ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION

ARIZONA:  DL PJ Johnson, RJr.; WR Shawn Poindexter, Sr.; Thomas Reid III, WR, RSo.; LB Colin Schooler, So.;
ARIZONA STATE: OL Quinn Bailey, RSr.; DB Aashari Crosswell, Fr.; OL Casey Tucker, Grad.; DL Renell Wren, RSr.;
CALIFORNIA:  DE Luc Bequette, RJr.; DB Camryn Bynum, RSo.; P Steven Coutts, RJr.; RS Ashtyn Davis, RJr.;
COLORADO:  LB Rick Gamboa, Sr.; DL Mustafa Johnson, So.; LB Nate Landman, So.; RB Travon McMillian, Sr.; OL Will Sherman, Fr.; DB Evan Worthington, Sr.;
OREGON:  DB Ugochukwu Amadi, Sr.; OL Jake Hanson, Jr.; OLB Justin Hollins, Sr.; DL Jordon Scott, So.; OL Penei Sewell, Fr.; OL Calvin Throckmorton, Jr.;
OREGON STATE:  AP/ST Andre Bodden, RJr.; WR Trevon Bradford, Jr.; WR Isaiah Hodgins, So.; RB Jermar Jefferson, Fr.;
STANFORD: DB Alijah Holder, RSr.; RB Bryce Love, Sr.; LB Bobby Okereke, Sr.; TE Colby Parkinson, So.; DL Jovon Swann, Jr.;
UCLA:  P Stefan Flintoft, RSr.; DB Darnay Holmes, So.; WR Theo Howard, Jr.; RB Joshua Kelley, RJr.; PK JJ Molson, Jr.;
USC: DB Ajene Harris, Sr.; OL Toa Lobendahn, RSr.; WR Michael Pittman Jr., Jr.; DB Marvell Tell III, Sr.; RS Tyler Vaughns, RSo.;
UTAH: DB Corrion Ballard, Sr.; LB Cody Barton, Sr.; OL Lo Falemaka, Sr.; DB Javelin Guidry, So.;
WASHINGTON: QB Jake Browning, Sr.; DL Jaylen Johnson, Sr.; DB Jojo McIntosh, Sr.; TE Drew Sample, RSr.;
WASHINGTON STATE: P Oscar Draguicevich, RSo.; RS Travell Harris, RFr.; OL Frederick Mauigoa, Jr.; LB Peyton Pelluer, Grad.; DB Jalen Thompson, Jr.; RB James Williams, RJr.; AP/ST Kainoa Wilson, RJr.; LB Jahad Woods, RSo.