CARDINALS

U of L's Holliman All-American, named top DB

Jeff Greer

@jeffgreer_cj

Safety Gerod Holliman says he’s had to learn to communicate on the field.

Gerod Holliman on Thursday became the first University of Louisville football player since Elvis Dumervil in 2005 to be named a first-team Walter Camp All-American.

To add to his big night, Holliman also took home the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back.

Holliman, a safety, tied the NCAA's single-season interceptions record this year with 14. Louisville's Dec. 30 Belk Bowl matchup against Georgia gives Holliman, a Miami native, one more game to set a new NCAA mark.

He was named to the All-ACC first team by both media and coaches votes, and was named a first-team All-American by CBS Sports. Holliman was also a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is given to the national defensive player of the year.

A redshirt sophomore, Holliman grabbed at least one interception in nine of Louisville's 12 regular-season games. He accumulated 245 return yards from his interceptions and returned one for a touchdown.

Holliman also tallied 37 tackles, including three for a loss, in nine starts at safety. He had one sack, three pass break-ups and 17 passes defended.