Garland Takes Home Top Honor at Annual Football Banquet
2/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 20, 2010
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Senior defensive lineman Ben Garland won the Brian Bullard Memorial Award, the highest honor a Falcon football player can earn, at the annual Air Force Football banquet at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.
Garland earned second-team all-conference honors in 2009 while leading one of the top defensive units in the country. He led the Falcons in tackles for loss with 10.5 for 46 yards and sacks with 4.5 for 30 yards. In addition, he recorded 45 total tackles and two pass breakups and a forced fumble. Garland also blocked two kicks, field goals vs. New Mexico and BYU.
The Air Force defense allowed just 15.7 points per game to rank second in the Mountain West Conference and 10th nationally. The Falcons gave up just 288.3 yards per game in total defense which was second in the conference and 11th in the nation, including allowing just 154.3 yards passing per game to lead the conference and rank fifth nationally.
The Bullard Award, established in 1984 and voted on by the football team, is based on the criteria that typifies the late Brian Bullard - unselfishness, 110 percent effort, total team commitment and pride in his role on the team whether he's a starter or not. Bullard was a 1982 graduate of Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs. He attended the Academy the following year and played on the football team for two years. During Thanksgiving vacation in 1983, Bullard and his girlfriend, fellow cadet Dianne Williams, died from carbon monoxide poisoning while returning from a trip to Kansas in a snow storm.
Brian Bullard Memorial Award Winners
2009 Ben Garland2008 Shea Smith2007 Drew Fowler, Garrett Rybak2006 Gilbert Perez2005 Denny Poland2004 John Rudzinksi2003 Monty Coleman, Joe Schieffer2002 Tom Heier2001 Zach Johnson2000 Nate Beard, Matt Dayoc, Mike Gallagher1999 Charlie Jackson1998 Mike Tyler1997 Chris Gizzi1996 Lee Gutherie1995 Brandon Wilkerson1994 Steve Russ1993 Will McCombs1992 Grant Johnson1991 Kette Dornbush1990 Bill Price1989 Lance McDowell1988 Anthony Roberson1987 Rip Burgwald1986 Pat Evans1985 Pat Malackowski1984 Steve Kelly
