BC Bulletin 2019-2020 Awards: AJ Dillon Is Our Male Athlete of the Year
In our first annual BC Bulletin Awards we asked our writers and readers to select players and teams for a variety of awards. Today we start with the Male Athlete of the Year: Boston College running back AJ Dillon.
In a year that showcased the resurgence of the men's hockey team, and a rejuvenation of the woman's basketball team, no Boston College athlete shined brighter than AJ Dillon. After a monster freshman year showing, Dillon was hampered by injuries in his sophomore year that saw his numbers suffer. Coming into this past season it was the hope that Dillon would be at full strength and able to carry the Boston College offense once again. The Eagles running back did just that to the tune of 1,685 rushing yards, and 14 touchdowns.
For the Male Athlete of the Year consideration, Dillon was a unanimous choice from both the readers and staff. Boston College struggled mightily on defense and it was the junior running back whom singlehandedly carried the offense on a weekly basis and set the tone for one of the top rushing attacks in the country. As one half of the "buffalo boys" with David Bailey, Dillon was able to find room against a box that was heavily stacked against him for the majority of his carries.
Dillon's statistics and grit on the field are not what makes him stand out entirely. It is his leadership and commitment to representing BC in the best way possible. He was able to mentor the aforementioned Bailey in becoming a better running back. Having Bailey ready to become the feature back sets BC up for more exciting and bruising runs in the future.
Boston College's motto "Ever to Excel" is exemplified by Dillon. He had multiple dominant performances this season but the one that sticks out was his 35 carry season high 242 yard and 3 score game at Syracuse, which earned him ACC Player of the Week
Coming off a bad loss at Clemson, in which he set the school rushing record, AJ was able to bounce back and set the tone for a convincing win on the road. Dillon's fine performance as an Eagle was critical again against Pitt. This time to help his team become bowl eligible, for the 3rd time in his Boston College career. At the end of the season Dillon declared for the NFL Draft, choosing to forego his senior season.
As he heads off to the NFL, BC Bulletin wants to honor AJ Dillon for his hard work and dedication to the football program.
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