Dec. 14, 2014
Tyler Ervin, one of the nation's top all-purpose runners in 2014, was named the Alan B. Simpkins Most Valuable Player at the team's annual awards banquet sponsored by the Spartan Quarterback Club.
Ervin presently ranks 13th nationally in all-purpose running with 1,748 yards, the seventh best single-season figure at San José State. He was the team's leading rusher with 888 yards, a 5.6 yards per carry average and four touchdowns. Ervin also caught 29 passes for 356 yards and a touchdown. Ervin had seven plays of 30 or more yards including touchdown runs of 89 yards versus Colorado State and 83 yards against UNLV and a 75-yard touchdown reception at Auburn.
Graduate student Travis Raciti received the Outstanding Defensive Player. The 2014 second-team All-Mountain West defensive lineman led the Mountain West defensive linemen with 72 tackles. Raciti also led the Spartans with 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 quarterback sacks.
Graduate student David Peterson was named the Outstanding Offensive Player. An honorable mention all-conference offensive lineman, Peterson was in the middle of a Spartan offense that rushed for more than 140 yards per game for the second season in a row and completed at least 60 percent of its passes for the fourth consecutive season.
Raciti and Peterson served as San Jose State's team captains for the 2014 season.
Sophomore running back Osirius Burke received the Outstanding Special Teams Player Award. Burke was credited with nine tackles, tops among Mountain West non-defensive players, and a forced fumble on special teams plays.
Other award winners included linebacker Vince Buhagiar, Comeback Player of the Year; linebacker Christian Tago, Most Inspirational Player; tackle Wes Schweitzer, Outstanding Offensive Lineman; and tackle Tony Popovich, Outstanding Defensive Lineman.
All-purpose player Tim Crawley, a business management information systems major received the Academic Achievement Award; defensive back Maurice McKnight, the Lawry Jasper Outstanding Freshman Award; and defensive end Adrian Blake, the Brent Evans Most Courageous Award.
Scout Team Players of the Year were defensive lineman Nick Oreglia and quarterback Mitch Ravizza. Wide receiver Jabari Carr and Buhagiar were named the winners of the Quarterback Club Awards given to a senior football player that exhibited leadership, was highly respected by his teammates and embodied the spirit of San Jose State football.