Dec. 9, 2013
Four Vanderbilt football seniors were recognized on Monday, as the Associated Press released its 2013 All-Southeastern Conference team. Jordan Matthews and Kenny Ladler each received first team recognition, while Wesley Johnson and Andre Hal were named to the second team.
Matthews had a record year in his final season with the Black and Gold. The Madison, Ala., native finished the year sitting atop multiple SEC receiving records. Matthews owns the conference marks in career receptions (257), career receiving yards (3,616) and 100+ receiving yard games (18).
The senior wide out also became the first SEC receiver to have more than 100 receptions in a season (107) and set a Vanderbilt single season-record with 1,334 receiving yards.
Against SEC opponents this year Matthews was superb, finishing with 74 catches for 904 yards in eight conference games.
Ladler will end his career at Vanderbilt with arguably his best season yet. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native was a force in 2013 forcing five fumbles and intercepting five passes. The five forced fumbles ties a school record and currently is good for first in the NCAA. Ladler’s five picks put him in second in the SEC. The seniors 87 total tackles rank him amongst the top 10 of the conference.
Ladler had career-highs of 14 tackles against the SEC East’s top teams: Missouri and South Carolina. The 6-1 safety closed out the season in impressive fashion posting four interceptions and all five forced fumbles in the last seven games.
Hal, was named to the All-SEC second team by the Associated Press after posting 14 passes defended and 40 tackles in his final season in Nashville. Hal’s 14 breakups are tied for the most in the SEC, a category he finished second in a year ago.
The senior corner from Port Allen, La., finished the regular season with 27 solo tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions in 11 games in 2013.
For Hal and Matthews it marks two consecutive seasons to earn All-SEC recognition from the AP with Matthews earning first team honors both years and Hal being a second team member each year. Matthews is the first Commodore since D.J. Moore in 2007-08 to earn consecutive first team honors from the AP.
Johnson, a redshirt senior from Nashville, finished his career with more consecutive starts (50) than any active player in the SEC. The 6-5, 295 pound lineman has been an anchor for the Vandy offensive line. Over the past four seasons, Johnson has been on the field for all, but two, of Vanderbilt’s offensive touchdowns.
The redshirt senior has also shown his versatility, with starts at four different offensive line positions. Over the past two years, Johnson has allowed only two quarterback sacks as a left tackle.
The Vanderbilt football team will be back in action for its third-straight bowl game, on January 4 against Houston, for the BBVA Compass Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.
