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Nov. 2, 2011

Former Texas Longhorns defensive end Sam Acho has been selected as one of eight extraordinary student-athletes to be honored as an NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award winner it was announced Tuesday.

The NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award recognizes student-athletes who completed their athletics eligibility during the 2010-11 academic year for their success on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in the community. Award recipients will be recognized at the Honors Celebration on Jan. 13 during the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis.

Acho graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in December, with a Business Honors and Marketing degree from the McCombs School of Business and a 3.6 GPA.

Acho was the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy winner for top football scholar-athlete in the nation and the 2010 Wuerffel Trophy winner for all-around excellence in athletics, academic and community achievement. He also won the 2010 Awards and Recognition Association (ARA) Sportsmanship Award, which honors an NCAA FBS college football player who exemplifies sportsmanship both on and off the field.

Acho was a two-time first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America, and a 2010 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Member. He was also named the 2010-11 Male Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year, first-team all-Big 12 in 2010 and three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12. He was a finalist for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior Class Award and the 2010 Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Named one of Sporting News’ 20 Smartest Athletes, Acho was named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete in 2010 and was an eight-time member of the UT Athletics Director’s Honor Roll. Acho also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 honors in each of his last three years at Texas.

In addition to his work in the classroom and on the field, Acho participated in many volunteer opportunities, including leading medical mission trips to Nigeria and organizing fundraisers before the trips. He served as a representative at the Big 12’s Conference on Black Student Government, mentored middle school students and regularly visited children’s hospitals.

In April 2010, Acho was inducted into UT's Friar Society, which is the oldest and most prestigious honor society at The University of Texas and recognizes students who have made significant contributions to The University.



Acho saw action in 50 career games (26 starts) and tallied 148 tackles, 23.5 sacks (No. 10 on UT's career list), 37 TFL, 44 pressures, eight PBD, eight forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries (t-No. 2 on UT's career list).



In 2010, he recorded 59 tackles, 17 TFL, nine sacks, 18 pressures, five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. His five fumble recoveries led the nation and are tied for the UT single-season record. His five forced fumbles were tied for second nationally and tied for seventh on the UT single-season list.



A 2009 semifinalist for the Lott Trophy, Acho notched 63 tackles, 10 sacks, 14 TFL, 15 pressures, three PBD, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries that season. The four fumble recoveries were tied for the most nationally and tied for third on UT's single-season list.



Acho was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He got his first start on October 30, 2011 when he registered six tackles, one sack for a loss of 12 yards and forced a fumble against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Top VIII honorees are selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, which is composed of athletics administrators at member institutions and nationally distinguished citizens who are former student-athletes.