Flacco and Cuff, who were selected in a vote by the head coaches of Delaware's 11 men's athletics teams, were among several athletes recognized during the awards luncheon for their accomplishments not only on the playing field but in the classroom and in the community.
The annual UD Women's Intercollegiate Awards Banquet was scheduled to be held Thursday evening at the Trabant Student Center.
The two are the first co-winners of the award since golfer Peter Lovenguth and baseball player Heath Chasanov shared the honors in 1991 and are the first teammates to be recognized with the award in Delaware athletics history.
Quarterback Flacco and running back Cuff helped lead the Blue Hen football team to one its finest seasons in school history in 2007. Head Coach K.C. Keeler's squad went 11-5 and advanced to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision national championship game before falling to Appalachian State.
Together, Flacco and Cuff helped lead a Blue Hen offense that was one of the most explosive units in the country. Delaware led the Colonial Athletic Association in almost every significant offensive category and ranked No. 6 nationally in passing yards per game (284.2), No. 10 in total offense per game (285.7), and No. 11 in scoring (36.2).
Flacco, who became the highest National Football League draft pick in UD history when he was selected in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens last month, was a two-year starter who set 20 school records while earning All-American honors and being named the ECAC and Colonial Athletic Association Co-Offensive Player of the Year for the 2007 season.
An honor student as an accounting major, he enjoyed an outstanding senior season for the Blue Hens in 2007. He completed 331 of 521 passes for 4,263 yards and 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions during the 2007 season as he ranked No. 6 in the nation in passing yardage per game (284.2), No. 10 in total offense per game (285.7), and No. 18 in passing efficiency (144.91). He finished his career ranking second on the all-time UD passing yardage list with 7,046 yards and also set career marks for completions, passing attempts, and 200-yard passing games.
Few players in the nation had a more productive season than Cuff did during the 2007 campaign as he set new records virtually every time he stepped foot on the field and earned consensus first team All-American honors. He was named to the first team of all five major All-American teams selected this season -- The Sports Network, Associated Press, Walter Camp Foundation, American Football Coaches Association and the College Sporting News. A two-time All-American, Cuff is Delaware's first consensus pick at running back since Gardy Kahoe in 1971.
Delaware's all-time leading scorer and second all-time leading rusher, Cuff enjoyed an outstanding season in 2007 as he set school single season records with 398 carries, 1,945 yards, and 35 touchdowns while also catching 55 passes for 554 yards and four touchdowns. He led the nation in scoring with 15.6 points per game and ranked seventh in rushing with 129.7 yards per game. He set a single season NCAA record with 39 touchdowns, the third highest total in the history of college football, and with 35 rushing touchdowns. His 65 career rushing touchdowns is also a CAA record while his 73 career touchdowns is No. 1 all-time at Delaware and his 4,364 rushing yards rank him No. 2 all-time at Delaware. In all, he set five NCAA records, eight CAA records, and 28 Delaware standards during his career.
A theater major with a minor in Black American studies, Cuff also will get the opportunity to continue his football career as he signed a free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans in early May.
The following University of Delaware student-athletes were named Alumni Association Team Most Valuable Players by a vote of team members.
BASEBALL: Junior catcher Ryan Reed was the winner of the Pape Lukk Award as the baseball team's Most Valuable Player. A second-year transfer from Winthrop University, Reed played in 48 games and started 46 contests behind the plate. He ranked fifth among regulars on the team in batting average with a mark of .299 and also added 12 doubles, five home runs, and 25 runs batted in. He also stole three bases and was third on the team with 14 multiple-hit games. Defensively, he committed just four errors in 300 chances and threw out eight base stealers. He is a business management major at Delaware.
BASKETBALL: Senior forward Herb Courtney was the winner of the Col. C.B. Shaffer Award as the men's basketball MVP for the second straight year. A four-year standout, Courtney earned third team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors in 2007-08 as he led one of the league's most improved teams to 14 victories and a spot in the league quarterfinals. He led the team in scoring (14.1 ppg), blocks (43), and steals (39), and ranked second on the squad with 6.2 rebounds per contest. A two-time All-CAA selection, he finished his career ranked 10th in school history with both 1,291 points and 649 rebounds. He is a hotel, restaurant, and institutional management major.
CROSS COUNTRY: Senior Kyle Schmid earned the Alumni Association Team MVP Award for the second straight year after leading the squad in six of the eight races. An honor student and a CoSIDA Academic All-American nominee as a civil engineering major, Schmid captured first place at the Monmouth Invitational this past fall and placed third in both Delaware Invitational meets and fourth at the Towson Invitational. He also placed 36th at the Colonial Athletic Association meet and led the Blue Hens at both the NCAA District meet and at the IC4A championships. He placed 20th at the CAA championships during the 2006 season.
FOOTBALL: Senior quarterback Joe Flacco and senior running back Omar Cuff shared the Alumni Association Most Valuable Player Award.
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Senior Brad Dodson was named the Alumni Association Team MVP for indoor track and field. A four-year standout, Dodson closed out his career as the all-time school-record holder in the indoor 1,000 meter (2:26.41), mile (4:07.43), and 3,000 meter (8:20.95) events and during the spring placed eighth in the 3,000 meters steeplechase at the CAA championships. His highlights during the indoor season were winning the mile run at the Princeton Invitational, placing second in the 3,000 meters at the New York University Fasttrack Invitational, and finishing 13th in the distance medley relay and 37th in the 3,000 meters at the IC4A championships.
LACROSSE: Sophomore attackman Curtis Dickson was named the Alumni Association MVP for the men's lacrosse squad. A criminal justice major, the high-scoring Dickson led the Blue Hens with 62 points on 46 goals and 16 assists and extended his streak of scoring at least one goal to 25 during the season. He led the CAA in goals and shots per game and currently ranks among the top 10 nationally in goals and points per game. He earned first team All-CAA honors, was a top 10 finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy as the top player in the nation, and is a strong candidate for All-American honors. He was a three-time CAA Player of the Week during the season.
SOCCER: Redshirt freshman midfielder Darren Christie was named the winner of the Alumni Association Team MVP Award for men's soccer. A transfer from Alabama A&M, Christie started 15 games during the season and dished out one assist while ranking third on the team with 28 shots. An economics major, he also was among the top defensive players for a team that held opponents to one goal or less nine times during the season.
SWIMMING AND DIVING: Senior Andrew Zinn earned the Jack and Hugh Dougherty Alumni Association Team MVP Award for the second straight season. A marketing major, Zinn enjoyed one of the finest seasons in school history as he led the Blue Hens to an all-time best third place finish at the CAA championships in February by winning meet titles in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, and 400 freestyle relay events and placing second in both the 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle. He earned All-CAA honors in five events, became the first swimmer in school history to earn an NCAA Provisional qualifying time, and was named to the CollegeSwimming.com honorable mention Mid-Major All-American team. A three-time CAA Swimmer of the Week, he capped his career by setting records in six different events.
TENNIS: Sophomore Austin Longacre was the recipient of the Alexander J. Taylor Team MVP Award. The team's No. 1 singles and doubles player the last two seasons, he posted a singles record of 22-11 this past season -- setting the UD single season record for wins -- and was 15-9 in doubles competition. He earned second team All-CAA honors in singles and was a third team All-CAA pick at doubles as he led the team to a dual record of 10-7 and a berth into the CAA Tournament quarterfinals. During the 2007-08 season, he was the ECAC Open Flight 1 singles runner-up and advanced to the round of 16 in both singles and doubles at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Fall Regionals. He is a business major at Delaware.
OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Senior Conrad Rapp won the Alumni Association Most Valuable Player honor for men's outdoor track and field. A two-time letter winner in both indoor and outdoor track, Rapp enjoyed an outstanding spring in 2008 as he won the pole vault competition at the Delaware Open, Towson Invitational, and Rider Invitational, was second at the Penn Relays, and third at the Penn Invitational. He finished fourth in the pole vault at the CAA championships in April and was the team's top finisher at the IC4A championships last weekend with a 13th place finish. He ranks No. 2 all-time at Delaware in both the indoor (15-5) and outdoor (15-9) pole vault. He is a health and exercise science major with a minor in strength and conditioning.
In addition to the team Most Valuable Player awards, also recognized at the luncheon for their efforts in the classroom and in the community were the following:
Senior swimmer Adam Blomberg was recognized as the Eastern College Athletic Conference Medal of Merit Award winner as the senior male student-athlete with the highest grade point index. A physics major with a minor in business and management information systems, Blomberg carries a 3.75 grade point index. A two-time CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's swimming, he captured the 400 freestyle at the CAA Championships this past February and set school records in the 400 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay. A two-time UD Team Sportsmanship Award winner, he earned first team CoSIDA Academic All-Region honors last season and is a candidate again this year.
In swimming, freshman Mike Wodoslawsky was named the winner of the Chuck Ganci Award as the team's Most Improved performer during the course of the season while junior diver Matt Abbruzzese earned the Thomas Baranello Award for special contributions to the team. Wodoslawsky placed eighth in the 100 butterfly, 11th in the 200 butterfly, and 14th in the 200 individual medley at the CAA championships in February while Abbruzzese was fifth in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events at the CAA meet. Wodoslawsky is an electrical engineering major while Abbruzzese is a double major in communications and Italian.
In tennis, junior Nolan Greenberg received the Lee J. Hyncik Awards as the junior member of the team with the highest grade point index. A three-year letter winner, Greenberg went 15-12 in singles play and 15-9 in doubles competition this past season and earned third team All-CAA honors in doubles. He is a hotel, restaurant, and institutional management major.
In track and field, junior Kevin Kemmerle earned the Dr. D. Kenneth Steers Memorial Scholarship and junior Alex Gambogi received the David A. Sharp Academic Excellence Award. Both awards are presented based on academic accomplishments. Kemmerle, a health and physical education major, posted four top 20 finishes and was 32nd at the CAA cross country championships this past fall. In track, he placed 12th in the 10,000 meter at the CAA outdoor championships in April. He will serve as the UD Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) treasurer in 2008-09. Gambogi, a biology major, competed in four cross country events this past fall and was a distance runner for the UD indoor and outdoor track and field squads. He will serve as vice-president of SAAC in 2008-09.
The University of Delaware Student Services for Athletes also announced two annual awards that recognize student-athletes who have provided service to that office.
Senior men's basketball player Henry Olawoye earned the Dr. Janice Jordan Award presented to a student-athlete who has made outstanding progress academically while at Delaware. A human services major with a minor in leadership, Olawoye played in 95 career games as a four-year letter winner.
Senior men's lacrosse midfielder Brett Manney received the Student Services Outstanding Contributor Award for special contributions to the office. An English major with a minor in journalism, Manney was a standout for the men's lacrosse squad, leading the Blue Hens to the CAA title and an NCAA national semifinal berth in 2007 and playing in 52 career games. He was active in several community service projects, including the Pigskin Pass for Special Olympics. He also was active as a sports radio broadcaster for UD student station WVUD 91.3 FM.
