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| Adams, Nerys selected UD football co-captains
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4:50 p.m., March 20, 2003--Defensive back Mike Adams and offensive guard Jason Nerys have been selected as co-captains for the 2003 University of Delaware football team, Head Coach K.C. Keeler announced Thursday, March 20.
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| Mike Adams |
Adams, a 5-foot 11-inch, 185-pound senior from Paterson, N.J., and Nerys, a 6-foot 4-inch, 278-pound senior from Waldwick, N.J., were selected by a vote of their teammates last week. They will lead the Fightin’ Blue Hens as they head into the second season under Keeler in 2003.
Delaware, which posted a 6-6 record a year ago when the team defeated three NCAA Division I-AA tournament teams, will open the season at home Sept. 6 against The Citadel at Delaware Stadium.
The two become the first tandem to share captain duties since Craig Cummings and Brian McKenna served as co-captains in 2000, when the team advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals with a 10-2 record. Adams is the first defensive back to serve as captain since Kenny Bailey in 1996, and Nerys is the first offensive lineman to be named captain since Chris Kumpon that same season.
“Mike and Jason were obvious choices because they bring so many positive attributes to the team,” Keeler said in making the announcement. “We thought it was important to have a captain from each side of the ball, and both have earned the respect of their teammates as not only vocal leaders, but as outstanding players on the field.
“Mike is the real emotional leader of this team and his absence on the field showed last season when he missed most of the season with his hip injury. Jason has such a great work ethic and we really believe he is one of the top offensive linemen in I-AA football. I already see pluses. I love our competitiveness so far in spring practice. We are going to be a blue collar team and want us to take pride in our toughness.”
Adams, a three-year letter winner, looks to return to full strength this fall after suffering a hip injury in the closing minutes of last year’s season-opening win over Georgia Southern. He will see limited action during spring drills but is expected to be at full strength for the fall season.
Nicknamed “Pops,” Adams has played in 31 games with 12 starts in his four seasons and has posted 143 tackles, including 86 solo stops, to go with one sack, eight pass breakups, and seven interceptions.
After serving as a key backup in both 1999 and 2000, and helping the Blue Hens advance to the NCAA semifinals in 2000, Adams broke into the starting lineup in 2001 and posted 63 tackles while intercepting three passes. He posted eight tackles in his only outing in 2002 against Georgia Southern. He is also expected to return to action this fall as a punt returner.
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| Jason Nerys |
“I learned a lot by just watching last season and I saw the game from a coaching perspective. Now I see the game from both sides and I think that will help me,” said Adams of his role as captain. “I demand a lot of myself and I demand of lot from my teammates as well. I’m looking forward to being a vocal leader and helping the younger guys on this team.”
Nerys will be a third-year starter at offensive guard this fall and will lead a unit that returns all five starters. An All-American and Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American candidate, Nerys earned second team All-Atlantic 10 honors a year ago as the Hens averaged 24.2 points and 378.2 total yards per game. The Blue Hens ranked third in the Atlantic 10 Football Conference in both total yards and rushing yards per game (206.2) and ranked second in the league in allowing just 15 quarterback sacks all season.
In three seasons, Nerys has appeared in 29 games with 20 consecutive starts and was a key backup on Delaware’s 2000 NCAA semifinal team. He is a three-time Atlantic 10 All-Academic selection as an exercise physiology major and was named to the 2001 Verizon/CoSIDA District II All-Academic team.
“This is a great honor for me,” Nerys said. “It’s a very proud moment because it shows that your teammates have respect for you. I’m not a vocal guy like Mike, but I work hard and do my best. Mike and I have different personalities and I think that will be a good thing.”
The Blue Hens, who began spring practice March 13, will conclude drills with the annual Blue-White spring game at 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 11, in Delaware Stadium.
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