If Gerod Holliman wasn’t tracking down the football, the ball was finding him.
Entirely appropriate that Holliman would make a pick on the last play of the regular season, intercepting a pass from Kentucky’s Patrick Towles, returning the ball 65 yards to nail down a 44-40 win for the University of Louisville.
The interception was Holliman’s 14th of the season, tying an NCAA record.
Holliman was honored Thursday with the Jim Thorpe Award for the 2014 season, the highest honor a defensive back can receive, and he was also named first team All-America on the Walter Camp team. He is the first UofL player to earn first team Walter Camp honors since defensive end Elvis Dumervil in 2005.
Holliman was also named a first team CBS All-American on Wednesday and was a first team All-ACC selection by the media and coaches this season.
The redshirt sophomore made at least one interception in nine of 12 games. He amassed 245 return yards on picks and returned one for a touchdown. He also had 37 tackles, including three for a loss, in nine starts. He had one sack and three pass break-ups.
Holliman was one three finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. He edged out Alabama junior Landon Collins, credited with 95 tackles, six pass breakups and three interceptions, and Oregon senior defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, with 63 tackles and two interceptions.