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For Immediate Release: July 25, 2011
Patriot League Announces 25th Anniversary Football Team
Colgate Leads Way with Seven Selections, Lehigh Follows with Six
Center Valley, Pa. (July 25, 2011) – A select group of players spanning four decades and seven different schools
have been honored as the best of the best in Patriot League Football history with their selection to the League’s
25th Anniversary Team, it was announced on Monday.
Colgate and Lehigh, the two winningest programs in Patriot League history, combined to make up half of the 26man roster as the Raiders led the way with seven selections and the Mountain Hawks recorded six. Bucknell,
Fordham, Holy Cross and Lafayette each placed three players on the team, while Towson had the remaining
selection.
The Patriot League Football 25th Anniversary Team offense consists of Ryan Vena (Colgate, 1996-99) at
quarterback, Kenny Gamble (Colgate, 1986-87) and Gordie Lockbaum (Holy Cross, 1986-87) at running back,
Corey Hill (Colgate, 1995-98) and Javarus Dudley (Fordham, 2000-03) at wide receiver, Adam Bergen (Lehigh,
2001-04) at tight end, Will Rackley (Lehigh, 2007-10), Paul Clasby (Colgate, 1996-99), Luke George (Colgate,
1995-98), Nick Hennessey (Colgate, 2005-08) and Mariusz Misiec (Bucknell, 1994-97) on the offensive line, Jason
McLaughlin (Lafayette, 1991-94) as the placekicker and A.J. Kizekai (Bucknell, 2006-09) as the all-purpose player.
On the other side of the ball, Nick Martucci (Lehigh, 1995-98), Corey Vincent (Holy Cross, 1988-91), Andrew
Hollingsworth (Towson, 1997-00) and Hunter Adams (Bucknell, 1995-98) make up the defensive line, Greg
Manusky (Colgate, 1986-87), Ian Eason (Lehigh, 1996-99), Andy Romans (Lafayette, 2005-08) and Matt Cohen
(Lehigh, 2006-09) are the linebackers and Dave Murphy (Holy Cross, 1986-89), Tad Kornegay (Fordham, 2001-04),
B.J. Gallis (Lafayette, 1993-96) and Abdul Byron (Lehigh, 1998-01) are in the defensive backfield. Barry Cantrell
(Fordham, 1994-97) completes the squad as the punter.
The Patriot League Football 25th Anniversary Team was voted on by each of the seven current football member
schools, with each institution getting one vote and ineligible to select their own players. Players qualified for the
ballot by earning three-time All-Patriot League status; a first, second or third-team All-America honor from the
four major awarding organizations; or a Patriot League Player, Offensive Player or Defensive Player of the Year
award. Schools were also permitted to include additional candidates that did not meet the automatic qualification
criteria.
Vena was selected among an outstanding group of Patriot League quarterbacks. He earned first-team All-Patriot
League honors in all four of his seasons, the only quarterback to pull off that feat. Vena also received the Patriot
League Player of the Year award in 1996, 1997 and 1999, and led the Raiders to the Patriot League title and FCS
playoff berth in both 1997 and 1999. Colgate had a 19-4 Patriot League record in Vena’s four years under center.
He stands fourth in Patriot League annals with 9,435 yards of total offense in his career.
Gamble and Lockbaum stood out among the stellar cast of running backs in Patriot League history. Each player
made their mark while competing in the first two seasons of Patriot League action in 1986 and 1987. Gamble
claimed the inaugural Walter Payton Award and the ECAC Player of the Year honor in 1987 while earning
consensus first-team All-America honors and his second consecutive first-team All-Patriot League award.
Lockbaum earned the first two Patriot League Player of the Year trophies while receiving All-America honors in
each of his seasons, and the ECAC Player of the Year award in 1986. He placed in the top five of the Heisman
Trophy balloting in both campaigns, and the two-way standout was recently named the No. 50 player on
ESPN.com’s Simply Saturday list. Gamble and Lockbaum remain the most decorated players in Patriot League
history, with each receiving induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Hill was the go-to target for the Colgate offense during Vena’s first three seasons. He earned three consecutive
first-team All-Patriot League honors while also receiving All-America status in his final two campaigns and the
Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year award as a senior. Dudley also received three straight first-team AllPatriot League honors as well as a trio of first-team All-America nods as a senior. The Fordham standout remains
at the top of the Patriot League record book by a wide margin in career receptions (295) and yards (4,197), and is
tied with Hill as the all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (34). Dudley also holds the Patriot League record with
7,121 all-purpose yards, nearly 1,000 more than the next player on the list.
Bergen stands as the most accomplished tight end in Patriot League annals, taking home first-team All-Patriot
League recognition in his final two years and three first-team All-America nods as a senior.
The most recent graduate on the 25th Anniversary Team, Rackley finished his outstanding career at Lehigh in
2010 with his third straight first-team All-Patriot League honor as well as a spot on multiple All-America teams.
He became the highest-ever NFL Draft pick out of the Patriot League when he was selected in the third round by
the Jacksonville Jaguars in April.
Colgate’s trio of 25th Anniversary Team offensive lineman each received All-America recognition during their time
in Hamilton. Clasby was a three-time All-Patriot League pick and earned three All-America nods as a senior, while
George earned All-Patriot League recognition in his final two seasons and All-America status as a senior.
Hennessey earned consensus first-team All-America recognition as a senior in 2008 as well as a pair of All-Patriot
League honors. Misiec completes the offensive line after earning All-Patriot League honors in each of his final three
seasons at Bucknell.
McLaughlin takes the spot as the placekicker after receiving All-Patriot League honors in each of his four seasons,
with two selections to the first team. He remains the Patriot League career scoring leader among kickers with 255
points. The diverse Kizekai received four All-Patriot League honors, three as a return specialist and one as a
running back, during his outstanding career at Bucknell. He stands sixth in League history with 5,536 career allpurpose yards.
The defensive line includes the Patriot League’s all-time sacks leader, as Hollingsworth’s total of 43 stands nine
ahead of any other player in League annals. The Towson standout also holds the single-season sack mark of 18 in
2000, when he was named Patriot League Player and Defensive Player of the Year and earned consensus firstteam All-America honors. Martucci earned the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year award and three AllAmerica plaudits as a senior in 1998, when he also received a second straight first-team All-Patriot League honor.
Vincent was a standout player during a dominant era for Holy Cross from 1988-91, registering 25 career sacks
and earning the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year award and multiple All-America nods as a senior.
Adams earned All-Patriot League recognition in three of his seasons for the Bison.
Rivaling Gamble and Lockbaum as the star in the first two years of Patriot League Football, Manusky made 162
tackles as a junior in 1986 and earned the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year award with three AllAmerica honors in his senior season. Eason earned All-Patriot League honors in all four of his seasons, and was
named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-American as a senior in 1999. Two of
the more recent players on the list have strong accolades as well. Romans earned back-to-back Patriot League
Defensive Player of the Year awards in his final two years at Lafayette and received three All-Patriot League honors
while Cohen was a three-time All-Patriot League pick at Lehigh and received the Patriot League Defensive Player of
the Year award and three All-America honors as a senior.
The first four-time All-Patriot League selection, Murphy earned first-team honors in all four of his seasons at Holy
Cross and received six All-America honors over his final three years. He was also named the Patriot League
Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, and maintains the Patriot League record for interceptions in a season
(nine) and career (28). Kornegay had a standout senior season in 2004 when he earned consensus first-team AllAmerica honors while finishing with eight interceptions. Gallis claimed the Patriot League Defensive Player of the
Year award and a pair of All-America honors as a senior at Lafayette in 1996, while Byron did the same thing in
his senior season at Lehigh in 2001.
Cantrell earned All-Patriot League status in all four of his seasons at Fordham, making the first team while also
earning three All-America honors as a senior in 1997 when he set a Patriot League record and led the nation with
45.85 yards per punt. Cantrell’s career mark of 40.36 yards per punt stands third in League history, and he is the
all-time leader in punting yardage (10,776).
Each of the 16 players who exhausted their eligibility before 2000 also earned a spot on the Patriot League 15th
Anniversary Team released that year.
Fourteen players on the Patriot League Football 25th Anniversary Team have combined to receive 19 Patriot League
Football Player (1986-00), Offensive Player or Defensive Player of the Year awards, with Vena, Lockbaum,
Hollingsworth and Romans winning a major award on multiple occasions. The group of 26 players has totaled 72
All-Patriot League selections, with each honoree making the All-League squad in multiple seasons.
In addition, 21 of the 26 players made at least one of the four major FCS All-America teams with 68 overall
selections among the group. Gamble, Manusky, Lockbaum, Bergen and Rackley played in one of the major
postseason all-star games. Nearly half of the honorees continued their playing career professionally, with five
playing in a regular-season NFL game and Rackley hoping to add his name to the list in the upcoming season.
Perhaps most importantly, 21 of the 26 players won at least one Patriot League title in their career, with that
group combining for 34 championships. Byron was part of a Patriot League champion in each of his four seasons
at Lehigh, while Vincent and Murphy each claimed three titles at Holy Cross.
Players on the Patriot League Football 25th Anniversary Team will be profiled leading up and throughout the 2011
season, along with features on additional student-athletes, coaches and teams in Patriot League history.
Patriot League Football 25th Anniversary Team
Offense
QB Ryan Vena, Colgate (1996-99)
RB Kenny Gamble, Colgate (1986-87)
RB Gordie Lockbaum, Holy Cross (1986-87)
WR Corey Hill, Colgate (1995-98)
WR Javarus Dudley, Fordham (2000-03)
TE Adam Bergen, Lehigh (2001-04)
OL Will Rackley, Lehigh (2007-10)
OL Luke George, Colgate (1995-98)
OL Paul Clasby, Colgate (1996-99)
OL Mariusz Misiec, Bucknell (1994-97)
OL Nick Hennessey, Colgate (2005-08)
PK Jason McLaughlin, Lafayette (1991-94)
AP A.J. Kizekai, Bucknell (2006-09)
Defense
DL Nick Martucci, Lehigh (1995-98)
DL Andrew Hollingsworth, Towson (1997-00)
DL Corey Vincent, Holy Cross (1988-91)
DL Hunter Adams, Bucknell (1995-98)
LB Greg Manusky, Colgate (1986-87)
LB Ian Eason, Lehigh (1996-99)
LB Andy Romans, Lafayette (2005-08)
LB Matt Cohen, Lehigh (2006-09)
DB Dave Murphy, Holy Cross (1986-89)
DB Tad Kornegay, Fordham (2001-04)
DB B.J. Gallis, Lafayette (1993-96)
DB Abdul Byron, Lehigh (1998-01)
P Barry Cantrell, Fordham (1994-97)