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Duke's John Talley Earns First Team All-ACC Honors
DURHAM, N.C. -- For the second straight year, Duke cornerback John Talley has earned first team All-ACC honors as voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association and released Monday by the Associated Press.
A senior from Duncan, S.C., Talley received 140 out of a possible 160 points for selection -- the third-highest total among defensive players behind Clemson's Gaines Adams (157) and Wake Forest's Josh Gattis (149). The all-league citation is the third for Talley, who received second team honors in 2004 and first team accolades in 2005. He becomes the first Blue Devil to receive three all-conference awards since Sims Lenhardt in 1997 (1st team), 1998 (2nd team) and 1999 (2nd team) and Duke's first player to garner a pair of first team honors since Chris Combs in 1998 and 1999.
Talley leads the ACC and ranks fifth nationally with his seven interceptions this year. A starter in all 12 games, he amassed season totals of 42 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, two caused fumbles and one fumble recovery to go with his seven interceptions. Talley is the ACC's all-time leader in interception return yards (395) while ranking second on the league's career chart for interceptions with 18. In 46 career games at Duke, he produced 183 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 33 pass breakups while scoring three touchdowns on interception returns.
A starter in 33 career games as a Blue Devil, Talley is the 26th player in Duke gridiron history to receive first team All-ACC accolades in two seasons. Other Duke defensive backs to achieve the accomplishment are Ray Farmer (1994-95), Dennis Tabron (1980-81), Bill Hanenberg (1971-72) and Rich Searl (1969-70-71). Talley owns the following Duke records: Career interceptions (18), career interception return yards (395), career pass breakups (33), career total passes defended (51), career interception returns for touchdowns (3; tied), career return yards per interception (22.0), single-season interception return yards (172 in 2004), single-season return yards per interception (43.0 in 2004), single-season interception returns for touchdowns (2 in 2004; tied). He also owns the fourth longest interception return in school history with an 85-yard effort against Maryland in 2004.
Of his 18 career interceptions, Talley recorded three against Georgia Tech, Florida State and Virginia Tech. He posted two interceptions versus Clemson and single picks against Boston College, Connecticut, Maryland, Miami, VMI, Navy and Alabama.
Clemson, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech led the league with seven combined first and second team selections each while Wake Forest had six choices. Boston College and Miami were next with five picks followed by Maryland (4), N.C. State (4), Florida State (3), Virginia (2) and Duke (1). North Carolina was the lone school not represented on either team.
A senior from Duncan, S.C., Talley received 140 out of a possible 160 points for selection -- the third-highest total among defensive players behind Clemson's Gaines Adams (157) and Wake Forest's Josh Gattis (149). The all-league citation is the third for Talley, who received second team honors in 2004 and first team accolades in 2005. He becomes the first Blue Devil to receive three all-conference awards since Sims Lenhardt in 1997 (1st team), 1998 (2nd team) and 1999 (2nd team) and Duke's first player to garner a pair of first team honors since Chris Combs in 1998 and 1999.
Talley leads the ACC and ranks fifth nationally with his seven interceptions this year. A starter in all 12 games, he amassed season totals of 42 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, two caused fumbles and one fumble recovery to go with his seven interceptions. Talley is the ACC's all-time leader in interception return yards (395) while ranking second on the league's career chart for interceptions with 18. In 46 career games at Duke, he produced 183 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 33 pass breakups while scoring three touchdowns on interception returns.
A starter in 33 career games as a Blue Devil, Talley is the 26th player in Duke gridiron history to receive first team All-ACC accolades in two seasons. Other Duke defensive backs to achieve the accomplishment are Ray Farmer (1994-95), Dennis Tabron (1980-81), Bill Hanenberg (1971-72) and Rich Searl (1969-70-71). Talley owns the following Duke records: Career interceptions (18), career interception return yards (395), career pass breakups (33), career total passes defended (51), career interception returns for touchdowns (3; tied), career return yards per interception (22.0), single-season interception return yards (172 in 2004), single-season return yards per interception (43.0 in 2004), single-season interception returns for touchdowns (2 in 2004; tied). He also owns the fourth longest interception return in school history with an 85-yard effort against Maryland in 2004.
Of his 18 career interceptions, Talley recorded three against Georgia Tech, Florida State and Virginia Tech. He posted two interceptions versus Clemson and single picks against Boston College, Connecticut, Maryland, Miami, VMI, Navy and Alabama.
Clemson, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech led the league with seven combined first and second team selections each while Wake Forest had six choices. Boston College and Miami were next with five picks followed by Maryland (4), N.C. State (4), Florida State (3), Virginia (2) and Duke (1). North Carolina was the lone school not represented on either team.
