9 Blue Devils named to All-ACC teams

Nine may be the new lucky number for Duke football.

After clinching back-to-back nine win seasons for the first time in program history Saturday against Wake Forest, the Blue Devils landed nine players on All-ACC teams, as announced by the conference Monday.

Three Duke seniors—wide receiver Jamison Crowder, right guard Laken Tomlinson and linebacker David Helton—garnered first-team All-ACC accolades. Redshirt junior safety Jeremy Cash was the lone Blue Devil representative on the second team, and senior offensive tackle Takoby Cofield, redshirt junior center Matt Skura, junior kicker Ross Martin and redshirt sophomore return man DeVon Edwards were all selected to the third unit. Redshirt junior punter Will Monday received honorable mention from the voters.

Crowder was also named to the first unit as a return specialist. The Monroe, N.C., ranks second in the conference with 6.5 receptions per game and also sits in second place on the ACC's all-time career receptions list.

Tomlinson, previously named to the Allstate Good Works team for his work in the Durham community, has started 51 consecutive games for head coach David Cutcliffe, and will join Crowder at the Reese's Senior Bowl Jan. 24, 2015, looking to improve his NFL draft stock. Tomlinson's offensive line teammates, Cofield and Skura, have helped the Blue Devils keep quarterback Anthony Boone upright, allowing the 11th-fewest sacks per game in the country.

Helton, who took over at the Mike linebacker position after Kelby Brown suffered a preseason ACL tear, leads the ACC in tackles with 125 and ranks 10th in Duke history with 338 career takedowns.

A transfer from Ohio State, Cash had 103 tackles and 5.5 sacks during the regular season, making him the only defensive back in the country to have more than 100 tackles and more than five sacks.

Edwards also received honorable mention as a safety. The Covington, Ga., native's 119 tackles rank second on the team behind Helton.