9:35 p.m., Nov. 27, 2002--Seven members of the 2002 University of Delaware football team were honored on the All-Atlantic 10 Conference football team announced Tuesday afternoon.
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| Dan Mulhern |
Senior linebacker Dan Mulhern, senior defensive tackle Joe Minucci and senior cornerback Ricardo Walker were named to the first team; sophomore defensive back Sidney Haugabrook and junior offensive guard Jason Nerys were second team honorees; and senior punter Ryan Bleiler, junior tight end Rick Lavelle and Walker, as a kick returner, were third team selections.
The teams were selected from a vote of the 11 Atlantic 10 head coaches. Villanova quarterback Brett Gordon was named Offensive Player of the Year; Maine linebacker Stephen Cooper was named Defensive Player of the Year; Massachusetts running back R.J. Cobbs was named Rookie of the Year, and Northeastern head coach Don Brown was named Coach of the Year.
Brown led Northeastern to a 10-2 record and its first Atlantic 10 title and NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth this fall. Cooper, who led Maine to the Atlantic 10 co-title and an NCAA tournament berth, was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
Gordon threw for 3,467 yards and 29 touchdowns this season in leading Villanova to a spot in Division I-AA tournament, and Cobbs rushed for 1,067 yards this season in leading Massachusetts to an 8-4 record.
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| Joe Minucci |
Mulhern, an All-American candidate and finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in Division I-AA football, earned All-Atlantic 10 honors for the third straight year, including his second straight year as a first team selection. He ranks third in the Atlantic 10 with 126 tackles (10.5 per game), including 77 solos stops. He also posted 13.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown against West Chester.
Mulhern posted 10 or more tackles six times during the 2002 season and ended his career ranked fourth all-time at Delaware with 418 tackles.
Minucci, a four-year starter, anchored Delaware's defensive front, which limited opponents to just 139 yards per game, the fifth best mark in the Atlantic 10. Minucci posted 38 tackles, including 25 solo stops. He also had nine tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks, and broke up six passes for the line of scrimmage.
Walker was a double-winner, being named first team All-Atlantic 10 on offense and third team as a kick returner. He started 11 games this season and ranked fifth on the squad with 60 tackles, including a career high 15 stops in the season finale against Villanova. He led the team with three interceptions and ranked second in the Atlantic 10 with 14 pass breakups.
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| Ricardo Walker |
Walker also ranked fourth in the Atlantic 10 in kickoff returns with a 23.4 average on 22 attempts. He returned the opening kickoff of the William & Mary game 95 yards for a touchdown on Sept. 28, becoming the first player in UD history to return the opening kickoff for a score.
Haugabrook, the 2001 Atlantic 10 and ECAC Rookie of the Year and a third team All-Atlantic 10 pick a year ago, earned second team honors after starting all 12 games this season. Playing all four positions in the defensive secondary due to injuries, he ranked second on the team with 84 tackles, including 63 solo stops. He also intercepted two passes, returning one 41 yards for a touchdown against Maine, and broke up five other passes.
Nerys, a second-year starter, anchored the Blue Hen offensive front this season and helped Delaware average 24.2 points per game and rank third in the Atlantic 10 in rushing with 206.2 yards per game. The Hens allowed just 14 sacks all season, the lowest total since the 1991 team allowed a school record 10 in 1991.
Bleiler, who returned to action this season after a two-year layoff when he was the team's backup punter, punted 64 times for 2,525 yards and a 39.5 average this season. He landed 12 punts inside the 20-yard line and had five punts travel 50 yards or more, including a season high 63 yarder against New Hampshire. He finished his career ranked fourth all-time at Delaware with a 38.4-yard average.
Lavelle, a second-year starter, played in all 12 games this season for the Blue Hens. He helped Delaware's offense rank third in the Atlantic 10 with 206.2 yards rushing per game and also caught nine passes for 95 yards.
Delaware finished the 2002 season with a record of 6-6 under first-year head coach K.C. Keeler.
For the complete list of Atlantic 10 Football Conference postseason honors, see the web site at [www.atlantic10.org/sports/football/02-03all-conf.asp].
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