NEWPORT, R.I. (UCFKnights.com) – No American Athletic Conference school was more well-represented than UCF on the league's Fifth Anniversary Team, which was released Monday. The Fifth Anniversary Team was announced in conjunction with the start of the conference's annual Media Days.
Five Knights were represented on the team. That ties for most with Memphis and Temple.
UCF was represented by Jordan Akins, Clayton Geathers, Jacoby Glenn, Shaquem Griffin and Mike Hughes.
Akins is the lone tight end to be selected on the Fifth Anniversary Team. The First Team All-AAC performer in 2017 was drafted by the Houston Texans earlier this spring. Akins finished with 81 receptions for 1149 yards and eight touchdowns during his UCF career (2014-18). He averaged 16.1 yards per catch in 2017.
Geathers played safety for the Knights from 2010-14 and was a First Team All-AAC selection as a senior in 2014. He Started his final 52 games played of his career, and tied a UCF career record with 53 games played overall. When he wrapped up his UCF career, he was third in Knights history with 383 career tackles. Geathers boasted 97 tackles as a senior, with 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack, one forced fumble, a recovery, an interception and nine break-ups. He is currently a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Glenn played cornerback for UCF from 2012-14 before declaring for the NFL Draft. He was the 2014 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time First Team All-AAC selection. Glenn broke up 26 passes while recording nine interceptions in two seasons of play for the Knights. He was an Associated Press Second Team All-America performer in 2014, marking what was then the first All-America honors for UCF since 2007. Glenn is currently a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Griffin was the 2016 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He's a two-time First Team All-AAC choice, including distinction as the only unanimous selection on the 2017 all-conference team. Griffin was the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Auburn. He finished his career with 175 tackles, mostly in just two seasons. He recorded 33.5 tackles for-loss and 18.5 sacks in his UCF career. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks following the 2017 season, where he plays with his twin brother and fellow Knight alum Shaquill Griffin.
Mike Hughes spent just one season with the Knights, playing for the undefeated, National Champion squad in 2017. But he made quite the impact. Hughes was a First Team All-AAC selection and a Second Team All-America selection by both the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele. Hughes led the team with 11 pass breakups and also tallied four interceptions last season. He is the only Knight ever to return a kickoff, punt and interception for a touchdown in the same season. Hughes was a first-round NFL Draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings following last season.
Voting for the team was conducted in late June and early July. The team was selected based on three components – a fan vote, a vote of local and national media members, and a vote of the conference's 12 football programs.
