San Jose State's Travis Johnson named WAC defensive player of the year

San Jose State defensive end Travis Johnson was named the 2012 WAC defensive player of the year on Monday, according to the Mercury News. Johnson was a dominating presence for the San Jose State defense that finished second in the conference in yards per play, points, and total yards allowed. Individually, he led the league in sacks with 12 and tackles for loss with 19.

Johnson has been a good pass rusher since arriving at San Jose State. As a freshman, he notched two sacks in limited playing time. He broke out his sophomore year with 7.5 sacks and 9.5 TFL. The improvement continued in Johnson's junior season, when he tallied 9.5 sacks and 15.5 TFL. Another step forward as a senior made him the conference's premier defensive player.

With Johnson's help, the Spartans finished 10-2 on year SJSU and No. 24 in the BCS. They will be heading to the Military Bowl to face Bowling Green.