DENTON, Texas - Former North Texas football greats Patrick Cobbs and Brandon Kennedy took home the top two individual honors on the Sun Belt Conference 10-Year Anniversary team, the league announced today. Cobbs was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the decade and Kennedy earned the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the decade. Joining Cobbs and Kennedy on the 10-Year Anniversary team from North Texas are former wide receiver Casey Fitzgerald and former offensive lineman Nick Zuniga.
"This is an outstanding achievement for the North Texas football program," Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal said. "Patrick and Brandon were key to the success that we enjoyed during the early part of the decade and great examples of what can be accomplished through hard work and dedication. It is nice that two people who always put the team's success in front of their own personal recognition are being acknowledged for their outstanding accomplishments."
Cobbs finished his North Texas career in 2005 as the school's all-time leading rusher, with 4,050 yards. He was a two-time first team all-conference selection, and the 2003 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year when he led the nation in rushing with a 152.7 yard per game average. He played in three bowl games during his time with the Mean Green and had 21 games where he rushed for over 100 yards. He holds the North Texas career records for rushing yards (4,050), rushing touchdowns (36), rushing attempts (818) and all-purpose yards (5,255).
"I am tremendously honored to be recognized with such a prestigious award," Cobbs said. "It is especially humbling knowing that it was voted on by coaches, fans and media throughout the Sun Belt Conference. Although I'm sure my personal accomplishments were a consideration, it was definitely the success we enjoyed as a team that was the deserving quality."
Kennedy was the most dominant defensive player at North Texas since Joe Greene. He is the only person in Sun Belt Conference history to earn the Player of the Year award as the league's overall top player more than once. He is also the only defensive player to ever be named the Sun Belt Player of the Year. He was a three-time first team all-conference selection and holds the North Texas and Sun Belt Conference career record for tackles for loss with 61.
Zuniga was a three-time first team all-conference selection from 2001-03 and was largely responsible for three of North Texas' top 10 single-season rushing performances. Zuniga is the only player in North Texas history to block for three consecutive 1,000-yard rushers, doing it twice for Kevin Galbreath (2001-02) and once for Patrick Cobbs in 2003, when Cobbs led the nation in rushing.
Fitzgerald was a two-time first team all-conference selection in 2007 and 2008. He is the Sun Belt Conference career record holder for receptions with 229, most of which came in his final two years. He led the nation in receptions as a senior and earned All-America honors as a junior. He holds North Texas single-game receiving records for yards (327) and touchdowns (5) as well as single-season records for receptions (113) and yards (1,322).
In addition to the 10-Year Anniversary team, the Sun Belt Conference announced the Top 10 Moments and the Top 10 Plays of the decade. North Texas had two of the Top 10 moments - the 2002 New Orleans Bowl victory and the back-to-back national rushing champions in Cobbs (2003) and Jamario Thomas (2004).
For a complete list of the 10-Year Anniversary team as well as the Top 10 Moments and the Top 10 Plays of the first 10 years in the Sun Belt Conference please check SunBeltSports.org.
