Miami redshirt freshman Greg Rousseau, 2 1/2 sacks from nation’s lead, gets huge honor
He’s only a redshirt freshman, but University of Miami defensive end Greg Rousseau has accomplished spectacular things in his first full year playing college football.
Rousseau, the baby-faced 6-6, 260-pound Hurricane out of Hialeah Champagnat Catholic, is 2 1/2 sacks away from national leader Chase Young of Ohio State.
On Wednesday, Rousseau was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Rousseau finshed the regular season with an ACC-leading 14 sacks and is tied for 10th in the country with 18 tackles for loss. Rousseau had at least one sack in eight games and had multiple tackles for loss five times this season.
And to think that Rousseau did all this after he fractured and dislocated his right ankle in the second game of 2018 is nothing short of amazing.
He is one of only 19 players in the nation with at least 10 sacks for this season, and has 49 total tackles, six quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
In early November, Rousseau was named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for amassing four sacks and five tackles-for loss in UM’s win over Florida State.
“I don’t feel like I’m a different player,’’ Rousseau said after the FSU game. “I feel like I’m doing the same thing. Things are going my way, like I have the sacks and stuff, but I never during the season said, ‘Let me work harder,’ or ‘Let me turn it up.’’’
The four sacks were the most by a Hurricane in a single game since at least 2000 — as far back as the Sports Reference archive goes. He’s only the second player since 2006 to total seven or more sacks in a two-game span and only the fourth since at least 2000.
Former defensive end Daniel Stubbs holds the single-season record at Miami with 17 sacks in 1986. Rousseau has one more game — the yet-to-be-announced bowl game, to catch up to Stubbs. Judging by Rousseau’s performances this season, it’s not out of the question.
The Hurricanes finished the regular season last weekend with a 6-6 overall record and 4-4 mark in the conference. Their bowl game will officially be announced Sunday.
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 10:12 AM.
