|
 |
|
|
| 13 UD football seniors honored during banquet |
| |
12:20 p.m., Jan. 27, 2003--The 13 seniors from the 2002 University of Delaware football team were honored Friday night, Jan. 24, at the annual Blue Hen Touchdown Club awards banquet held at the Executive Hall in Wilmington.
 |
| Keith Burnell |
A crowd in excess of 350 attended the event, which included short speeches by each of the players and a highlight tape of the 2002 season. Delaware posted a record of 6-6 during the 2002 season under first-year head coach K.C. Keeler.
The 13 seniors honored were punter Ryan Bleiler, running back Keith Burnell, defensive back Mike Cassidy, kicker Scott Collins, linebacker Nick Fazzie, wide receiver Nate Irvin, defensive back Josh Kreider, defensive tackle Joe Minucci, linebacker Dan Mulhern, defensive lineman Jason Reid, cornerback Ricardo Walker, offensive tackle Brian Williams and safety Vince Wilson.
Also part of the program were presentations of individual awards for the 2002 season. Burnell was named Outstanding Senior Offensive Player and Mulhern was named Outstanding Senior Defensive Player and also earned the Captain's Award and the Baker-Taylor Award for special contributions to the team.
Minucci was named Outstanding Senior Lineman and earned the Newark Elks Club Award as the senior with the highest undergraduate grade point index, and Fazzie and Walker were co-winners of the Unsung Hero Award.
Burnell, a first-year transfer from Virginia Tech, was Delaware's leading rusher and ranked fourth in the Atlantic 10 as he carried 222 times for 956 yards and nine touchdowns and also caught 14 passes for 88 yards. He surpassed the 100-yard mark three times during the season, including a season-high 170 yards against West Chester.
 |
| Dan Mulhern |
Mulhern, who served as the team captain, completed a stellar career by being named first team All-Atlantic 10, first team All-East, second team The Sports Network All-American and third team Associated Press All-American. He also was a finalist for the NCAA Division I-AA Buck Buchanan Award as the nation’s top defensive player.
Mulhern led Delaware with 126 tackles in 2002, including 13.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions, including one for a touchdown. He finished his career with 418 tackles to rank No. 4 all-time at Delaware.
Minucci capped an outstanding 2002 season in which he posted 38 tackles, including nine for loss, 3.5 sacks, and six pass breakups. He earned first team All-Atlantic 10 honors. He finished his career with 99 tackles and 7.5 sacks. A sports administration major with a minor in business, he has recorded a 2.9 grade point index.
Fazzie, who came to Delaware as a walk-on, moved into a starting position in 2002 and ranked seventh on the team with 55 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. A two-year regular, he posted a career-high 10 tackles in 2002 against William & Mary.
Walker, a four-year standout in the UD secondary, earned first team All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2002 as he ranked fifth on the team with 60 tackles and led the squad with three interceptions and 14 pass breakups. He capped his career ranked No. 8 on the all-time UD pass breakup list with 23 and scored four touchdowns during his career, including one on a 95-yard kickoff return on the opening kickoff vs. William & Mary this past fall.
Walker ranked fourth in the Atlantic 10 with a 23.4 yards kickoff return average and earned third team All-Atlantic 10 honors as a return specialist this past fall.
|
|
