Hill, Currie named First-Team All-ACC

Dec. 7, 2004

Clemson, SC – Clemson linebacker LeRoy Hill and wide receiver Airese Currie were both named first-team All-ACC on Tuesday. It was the second straight year that Hill had been named to the team, while Currie became the first Tiger wide receiver since 1991 to earn first-team honors.

Hill had 143 points in the balloting done by the Atlantic Coast Sportswriters Association, third among defensive players. Hill is the first Clemson player, regardless of position since 1999-2000 to earn first-team All-ACC honors in consecutive years. Current Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Keith Adams, who like Hill wore #43, was the last Tiger football player to earn first-team All-ACC in consecutive years.

Hill is the eighth Clemson linebacker to be named first-team All-ACC twice. The others are Randy Scott, Anthony Simmons, Keith Adams, Bubba Brown, Levon Kirkland, Jim Catoe and Ed McDaniel.

The senior from Haddock, GA finished the season with a team best 106 tackles, including 19 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Hill ranked 10th in the nation in tackles for loss and 14th in sacks and concluded his career with 48 tackles for loss, tied for fifth in Clemson history.

Currie had an ACC best 61 catches for an ACC best 868 receiving yards during the 2004 season. The senior from Columbia, SC became the first Clemson receiver to lead the league in receptions per game since 1980 when Perry Tuttle led the conference. He is the first Clemson receiver to earn first-team All-ACC honors since Terry Smith was named to the team as a sophomore in 1991.

Currie joins Smith, Tuttle, Terrance Roulhac, Jerry Butler, Charlie Waters and Gary Barnes as receivers who were named first-team All-ACC at Clemson. Currie completed his Clemson career with tied for seventh in school history in receptions with 138 and he was sixth in reception yards.

Justin Miller was a second-team selection as both a defensive back and kick returner. The junior from Owensboro, KY had 54 tackles, including 46 first hits, and three interceptions during his junior season. He also led the nation in kickoff returns with a 33.1 average and he ranked 19th in punt returns with a 13.0 average. He had two kickoff returns for touchdowns, both against Florida State, tying an NCAA record, and a punt return against Wake Forest, giving him a Clemson record three kick returns for touchdowns in the same year.

Miller was beaten out for the return specialist position by Miami (FL) kick returner Devin Hester, who was the only player in the nation to rank in the top 10 in both punt returns and kick returns this season.

Three Clemson players received honorable mention honors by the All-ACC team. Cedric Johnson was named honorable mention as an offensive guard, while Eric Coleman was named as a defensive lineman. Tye Hill, who ranked third in the nation in passes defensed with 21, was also an honorable mention selection as a defensive back.