Dec. 7, 2007

LEWISBURG, Pa. - The 46th Annual Lewisburg Touchdown Club-Bison Club Football Awards Banquet was held on Sunday afternoon in the Terrace Room on campus, and sophomore running back A.J. Kizekai (Pawtucket, R.I./Blair Academy) capped the festivities by receiving the team's most valuable player award.

More than 20 special awards were handed out, and 52 players earned varsity letters.

Kizekai became the first sophomore to garner the Lewisburg Touchdown Club Award as team MVP since Rich Lemon in 1994. Lemon, who went on to become Bucknell's all-time leading rusher, is also the last running back to receive the honor.

Kizekai had a terrific all-around campaign for the Bison, and he earned First Team All-Patriot League honors as a return specialist after shattering school and league records for kickoff return yards in a season with 1,113. He averaged 25.9 yards per return, including a 92-yard touchdown against Colgate that was the seventh-longest return in Bucknell history. Kizekai became the first Bison since Ken Jenkins in 1980 to lead the team in both rushing and receiving in the same season. He ran for 632 yards, averaging 6.2 yards per carry, and also caught 17 passes for 363 yards for an average of 21.4 yards per reception. Kizekai led the team with eight touchdowns and broke the school record for all-purpose yards in a season with 1,908.

Kizekai also won the Big Blue Award as Bucknell's most outstanding back or receiver, and he garnered the Keating-Rieu Award as the team's most outstanding player in the Colgate game. In this year's 28-24 loss to the Raiders, he became the first player in school history to score rushing, receiving and kickoff return touchdowns in the same game.

Each of Bucknell's other two All-Patriot League honorees also went home with awards on Sunday. First-team all-conference defensive end Josh Eden (State College, Pa./State College) earned the George Rieu Award as the team's most outstanding defensive lineman for the second year in a row. Eden, a sophomore, started all 11 games at defensive end for the second straight season, and he finished with a career-high 53 tackles. He ranked fourth in the Patriot League in sacks (4.5) and fifth in tackles for loss (11). Eden had a career-high nine tackles against both Holy Cross and Lehigh in Patriot League play this season.

Senior offensive lineman Chad Glasser (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) won the John Campana Award as the team's most outstanding offensive lineman. Glasser never missed a varsity game in his four-year career, and he was rewarded for his consistency with Second Team All-Patriot League accolades this season. Glasser started the last 30 games of his career at left tackle, and he was a four-year starter at long-snapper.

Local product Ryan Slater (Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia) won the Clarke Hinkle Award as Bucknell's most outstanding linebacker or defensive back. Like Glasser, Slater was a four-year varsity letterman who finished his career with 232 career tackles. A starter at inside linebacker in every game over the last three seasons, Slater tied for second on this year's squad with 65 tackles, and he also intercepted two passes and forced two fumbles. One of those interceptions set up a key touchdown in the second half of Bucknell's season-ending 38-24 upset of 18th-ranked Fordham.

Slater also earned the George McGaughey Memorial Award as the team's most outstanding player in the Lafayette game. He had six tackles and a forced fumble in that contest.

Slater was one of thee Bucknell team captains this season, and each of the other two also secured awards.

Senior co-captain Corin Erby (Long Island City, N.Y./Salisbury School) earned the Special Teams Award. The fullback was a stalwart on kickoff and punt coverage, and he led the team with 15 special teams tackles. Erby also finished second on the team in rushing with 310 yards on 60 carries (5.2 average) and four touchdowns. He ran for a career-high 129 yards and a score in the season-ending upset of Fordham, and he had a two-touchdown performance in a season-opening victory at Duquesne.

Senior co-captain Jonathan Grainger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick), Bucknell's starting right guard, earned the Bobby Pangburn Memorial Award for "commitment, dedication and unqualified friendship to the program." Grainger moved from the defensive line to the offensive line midway through his sophomore year and quickly became a starter. He never did leave the starting lineup end ended up playing the final 27 games of his career.

Senior fullback Josh DeStefano (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) was the choice for the C. Dale Wolfe Recognition Award, presented to the team's most inspirational player. DeStefano was the team's leading rusher and a Second Team All-League performer in 2006, but his senior year was derailed by a preseason concussion. He missed the first three games of the year before returning against Richmond, and he started the next three games before being forced back to the sidelines. DeStefano ran for 202 yards this season and was awarded his fourth varsity letter.

DeStefano also won the Moxie Award. Instituted in 1992 by equipment manager Ken Hare, the Moxie Award is named for his grandfather, Walter Jacob "Moxie" Mahlon, and is presented for special contribution to the Bucknell football program.

Junior fullback Kevin Mullen (Export, Pa./Penn-Trafford) earned the ROTC Leadership Award for an unprecedented third straight year. A member of the Bucknell ROTC program himself, Mullen played in all 11 games this season with five starts, and he rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown. He was also a member of most of the special teams units and finished with five tackles.

The Stuart M. Smith Award, presented to the team's top newcomer, went to freshman wide receiver Shaun Pasternak (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights). Pasternak was a two-time Patriot League Rookie of the week in 2007, and he finished third on the team with 13 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Both scores came in the Georgetown game, including one in the final minute that tied the game. He had a career-long 58-yard catch that set up a key touchdown in the victory over No. 18 Fordham to end the season. Pasternak played in nine games during his rookie season, starting four.

Two veteran players were picked as Scout Team Players of the Year. Senior wide receiver Andrew Guadagno (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) won it on the offensive side of the ball, while junior Robert Firman (Vincentown, N.J./Seneca) was the defensive recipient.

The only awards that were not voted on by the players were the Tom Gadd Coaches' Awards, which were presented by the staff to two offensive and two defensive players. On offense, the honors went to senior quarterback Terrance Wilson (Trenton, N.J./Hamilton West) and senior offensive lineman Nick Mozal (Exeter, Pa./Wyoming Area).

Wilson was once a projected starter but major injuries curtailed both his sophomore and junior seasons. This year, he battled through a bothersome hernia to serve as the backup to sophomore Marcello Trigg, and Wilson ended up rushing for 174 yards and four touchdowns and also passed for 136 yards and a score. Mozal moved from tight end to offensive tackle midway through the year and ended up starting the final six games at tackle. Mozal was a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, awarded to the top scholar-athlete in college football.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Tom Gadd Coaches' Awards went to senior linebacker Stephen Collage (McKeesport, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) and senior defensive lineman Brandon Friday (Cinnaminson, N.J./St. Joseph's Prep). Collage moved from safety to linebacker at the start of the season, but a broken wrist limited him to only three starts and brief appearances in three other games at the end of the year. Collage finished with 15 tackles and two bass breakups, and he will graduate with four varsity letters and 140 career tackles. Friday was a mainstay on the defensive line for the last two seasons, and he had 19 tackles in 2007.

Below are the Bucknell football players who earned varsity letters in 2007 (total number of letters in parentheses).

Freshman OL Hesham Abdelaal (Laurys Station, Pa./Parkland) (1)
Junior DB Nolan Applegate (Morrisville, Pa./Pennsbury) (2)
Junior P Phil Azarik (Hilltown, Pa./Germantown Academy) (3)
Sophomore DL Will Braaf (Bardonia, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional) (1)
Sophomore RB Rashod Bumpers (Mobile, Ala./UMS-Wright) (2)
Sophomore WR Cale Cadman (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) (2)
Junior K Will Carney (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) (3)
Senior LB Stephen Collage (McKeesport, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) (4)
Senior OL Greg Conti (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) (2)
Sophomore DB Jason Davis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) (2)
Senior RB Josh DeStefano (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) (4)
Sophomore DL Josh Eden (State College, Pa./State College) (2)
Junior OL Stephen Edwards (Falmouth, Mass./Taft School) (3)
Senior RB Corin Erby (Long Island City, N.Y./Salisbury School) (3)
Sophomore DB Brigham Farrand (Green Pond, N.J./Morris Knolls) (2)
Senior DL Brandon Friday (Cinnaminson, N.J./St. Joseph's Prep) (2)
Sophomore OL Ian Fullmer (Shamokin, Pa./Southern Columbia) (1)
Senior OL Chad Glasser (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) (4)
Sophomore DB Josh Gornto (Durham, N.C./Jordan) (1)
Senior OL Jonathan Grainger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick) (3)
Senior WR Andrew Guadagno (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) (2)
Junior LB Chris Hayes (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) (1)
Junior LB Julius Hopson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) (3)
Freshman DL Chris Ingram (High Point, N.C./High Point Central) (1)
Sophomore LB Greg Jones (Springfield, Va./Lee) (1)
Sophomore RB A.J. Kizekai (Pawtucket, R.I./Blair Academy) (2)
Sohomore RB Josh Lee (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) (1)
Freshman WR Josh Lovett (Hendersonville, Tenn./Pope John Paul II) (1)
Junior LB Todd Manjuck (Durham, Conn./Coginchaug Regional) (2)
Freshman DB Tyler McFarlane (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Brunswick School) (1)
Junior LB Marques Morgan (Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove/Sacramento City College) (1)
Senior OL Nick Mozal (Exter, Pa./Wyoming Area) (3)
Junior RB Kevin Mullen (Export, Pa./Penn-Trafford) (3)
Freshman LB Travis Nissley (Mount Joy, Pa./Manheim Central) (1)
Junior WR Alex Odenbach (Webster, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) (2)
Senior RB Cameron O'Reilly (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) (1)
Freshman WR Shaun Pasternak (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) (1)
Sophomore OL James Phelan (Orlando, Fla./Bishop Moore) (1)
Sophomore RB Justin Pulgrano (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J./Northern Highlands) (1)
Junior DL Todd Rinaldo (Spring Lake Heights, N.J./Hun School) (2)
Senior OL Stephen Rivera (Orlando, Fla./Colonial) (1)
Sophomore DB Brandon Simmons (Bedford Heights, Ohio/Bedford City) (1)
Senior LB Ryan Slater (Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia) (4)
Freshman RB Ryan Smith (Mt. Airy, Md./Urbana) (1)
Sophomore QB Marcello Trigg (Tampa, Fla./Robinson) (2)
Senior DL Ryan Walsh (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Township) (4)
Freshman DB Ahkiel White (Somerset, N.J./Franklin) (1)
Sophomore LB Casey Williams (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) (2)
Senior QB Terrance Wilson (Trenton, N.J./Hamilton West) (2)
Senior OL Greg Wissman (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Earl F. Vandermeulen) (1)
Freshman DB Marlon Woods (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) (1)
Sophomore DL David Young (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) (2)