Oguchi Onyewu Named All-American

Dec. 9, 2001

Clemson, SC- After helping lead Clemson to the NCAA Elite Eight, sophomore Oguchi Onyewu has been named a second-team All-American by the NSCAA. He is just the fifth player in Clemson history and the first since Miles Joseph in 1993 to be named an All-American as a true sophomore.

Despite being a defender for much of year, Onyewu finished the season with seven goals and five assists for 19 points. Last week, after scoring the game-tying and game-winning goals against Alabama-Birmingham in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16, he was chosen as the National Player of the Week by College Soccer News.

Earlier this season, he was named First-Team All-ACC for the second consecutive year. He was also named the Defensive MVP of the Clemson Nike Invitational (Sept. 28-30) after leading Clemson to consecutive shutout victories over Cal Poly and 20th-ranked Virginia Commonwealth. For his outstanding performance in that tournament, Onyewu was also named the ACC Player of the Week on October 1.

A finalist for this year’s Missouri Athletic Club National Player of the Year award, Onyewu was a key reason why Clemson posted 10 shutouts victories, won the 2001 ACC Tournament Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the ninth time in school history.