Cohen named to Walter Camp All-America Team
12/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Senior Matt Cohen, the 2009 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, was one of only 27 student-athletes from around the nation named to the 2009 Walter Camp FCS All-America Team, it was announced on Monday. Cohen becomes Lehigh’s first First-Team All-America since 2004 when Tom Alfsen and Adam Bergen garnered the accolade from various outlets. Cohen, who is a three time All-Patriot League selection, is just the 14th player in Patriot League football history to be named to the Walter Camp All-America Team, which is voted upon by the head coaches and sports information directors of the FCS schools.
Cohen was one of three linebackers from around the nation named to the Walter Camp All-America Team, joining J.C. Sherritt of Eastern Washington and Brandin Jordan of Southern Illinois. A native of Allentown, Cohen led the Patriot League in sacks (9.0) and tackles-for-loss (13.5) marking the second consecutive season he has accomplished that feat. A supply chain management major, Cohen was the first Mountain Hawk to win a major award from the Patriot League since Jason Leo in 2006 and the first Lehigh player to earn the Defensive Player of the Year honor since Abdul Byron in 2001.
Cohen garnered Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors on October 12 following his performance in Lehigh’s win over league rival Georgetown where he totaled six tackles, including four-for-loss and three sacks. Cohen finished this season with 63 total tackles, including a season-best ten versus Central Connecticut State in the opener, and he registered two or more sacks in three games.
Cohen wrapped up his Lehigh career with 177 total tackles, 18.5 sacks and 44 tackles-for-loss. He was a Second-Team All-League pick in 2007 and a First-Team selection each of the last two seasons.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American Football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting All-America teams for the Football Bowl and Championship subdivisions.
