Armstrong, Wise and Smithson earn all-conference accolades
DORANCE ARMSTRONG JR.
All-Big 12 First Team
20.0 TFLs
10.0 Sacks
DANIEL WISE
ESPN.com All-Big 12 First Team
AP All-Big 12 Second Team
36 Tackles
10.0 TFLs
FISH SMITHSON
APAll-Big 12 Second Team
93 Tackles
4 INT
3.5 TFLsLAWRENCE, Kan. – The Associated Press (AP) and ESPN.com both announced their All-Big 12 Conference teams Tuesday with KU sophomores Dorance Armstrong Jr., and Daniel Wise and senior Fish Smithson each picking up honors. Armstrong was selected as a First Team honoree by both the AP and ESPN.com. Wise was a First Team selection by ESPN.com and garnered Second Team honors from the AP, while Smithson earned Second Team honors from the AP.
Armstrong, who hails from Houston, Texas, had one of the best seasons of any defender in the Big 12 as he turned in a league-leading 20.0 tackles-for-loss. His 20 TFLs rank third best in KU single-season history and had him ranked fifth in the FBS. Additionally, Armstrong posted 10 sacks, which ranks second in the Big 12 and 18th in the NCAA. For the season, Armstrong recorded 56 total tackles, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five quarterback hurries to go along with his sacks and TFLs.
Wise, a Lewisville, Texas, native, was the top interior lineman in the Big 12 with 10.0 TFLs. He started all 11 games he played in on the season, recording three sacks, two blocked kicks, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery and 36 total tackles. Wise picked up all-conference honors for the first time in his KU career.
Smithson, a Baltimore, Maryland, native, was honored by the AP and ESPN.com for the first time in his career, but received Second Team honors from the conference coaches in 2015. He led KU in tackles for the second-straight season with 93 total stops. He also led the Jayhawks and ranked third in the Big 12 with four interceptions. Smithson collected seven pass breakups to go along with his four picks and was also credited with two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 3.5 TFLs and 1.0 sack.
Armstrong and Wise are the first Jayhawks to be honored by the AP with First Team honors since 2014 when KU had Ben Heeney and Trevor Pardula find their name on the list.
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
