Tapp beat out University of Richmond quarterback Stacy Tutt and University of Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson to win the award. Tapp is the seventh different football player from Tech to receive the honor. Jim Pyne (1993), Cornell Brown (1995), Corey Moore (1999), Lee Suggs (2000 & 2002), Kevin Jones (2003) and Bryan Randall (2004) also took home the award.

Shawn Moore of Virginia was the first winner in 1990. Moore and Suggs in 2000 were the only unanimous choices. Matt Blundin, Mike Frederick, Tiki Barber, Anthony Poindexter and Billy McMullen are the other Cavalier winners. Cary Perkins of Emory and Henry (1992) and Marc Megna of Richmond (1998) are the only winners not to come from one of the I-A schools.

The Dudley Award is named after former University of Virginia standout "Bullet" Bill Dudley and has been presented annually since 1990 to the player of the year at a state school. Each football-playing school in the Commonwealth is allowed to nominate one player. In 2004, a separate award was created for players at Division II and Division III schools. The Times-Dispatch sponsors the awards.

A Virginia Tech player has won the award five times in the last six years after Bryan Randall won the award last year. Kevin Jones (2003), Lee Suggs (2002, 2000), Corey Moore (1999), Cornell Brown (1995) and Jim Pyne (1993) are all former Hokies to receive the honor.

Tapp has been named as a finalist for the Lott Award (nation's top defensive player), a semifinalist for the Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end), is a first-team AFCA All-American and is a two-time first-team All-ACC performer.