Bucknell University Athletics
Adam Lord Named Bucknell Football MVP for Second Straight Year
12/11/2002 7:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 11, 2002
LEWISBURG, Pa. - For the second year in succession, Bucknell senior nose guard Adam Lord (Troy, N.Y./Troy H.S.) took home the Lewisburg Touchdown Club Award as the most valuable player of the Bison football team. Dave Kotulski, the team's acting head coach in 2002, unveiled the MVP and 15 other award-winners at the team's annual awards banquet, sponsored by the Bison Club and Lewisburg Touchdown Club and held Sunday afternoon in Larison Dining Hall on campus.
Lord wrapped up a brilliant career in Orange and Blue in 2002. A terrific run-stopper who often drew the attention of multiple blockers, Lord was recently named the Patriot League Co-Defensive Player of the Year in addition to his third All-Patriot League nod. An American Football Coaches Association All-American in 2001, Lord made 40 tackles this season and 132 in his career. A total of 29 of his career hits, or nearly 22 percent, came in the opponents' backfield.
An electrical engineering major, Lord was a four-year starter on the Bison defensive line, and he helped the team lead the Patriot League in total defense in 2002. He is the fifth two-time winner of the team MVP award and the first since running back Rich Lemon in 1993-94.
Two of Lord's cohorts on Bucknell's veteran defensive line were also recognized at the awards luncheon. Senior Gary Carruthers (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem, N.Y.) earned the George Rieu Award as the Bison's most outstanding defensive lineman. The award is named in honor of Bucknell's outstanding defensive lineman from the early 1960s. He coached the freshman team while earning a master's degree at Bucknell, but died of cancer in 1963. Senior defensive lineman Eric Storm (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield H.S.) garnered the Bobby Pangburn Award, which is presented annually for commitment, dedication and unqualified friendship. Pangburn, who passed away in the fall of 2000, was a fixture in the Bucknell Athletic Department for a half-century and a friend to all Bison.
Carruthers enjoyed his finest season in 2002, his second year as a full-time starter. He ranked third on the squad with 60 tackles, including a team-high 14 for loss. He added 1.5 sacks and a highlight reel interception against Towson, when he batted a ball into the air and made a one-handed grab. Carruthers finished with 93 career tackles and two interceptions.
One of the most outgoing and popular members of the Bucknell team, Storm played in all 11 games for the Bison in 2002 and made 27 tackles, including two sacks and four stops for loss.
Joining Lord as a repeat winner was senior wide receiver Jim Horan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic H.S.), who was the recipient of the Big Blue Award as the team's most outstanding back or receiver for the second straight year. Horan led the Bison in receptions for the third straight year with 45. He hauled in four touchdown catches and finished with a team-high 556 receiving yards. Horan came agonizingly close to closing his career as Bucknell's all-time leading receiver, but he fell just one reception shy of Tom Mitchell's 37-year-old record of 173 career grabs. Horan was also racked up 2,110 career receiving yards, which is also second to Mitchell all-time. Horan and Mitchell (2,358) are the only two Bucknell receivers to eclipse the 2,000-yard plateau.
Versatile senior Billy Windle (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle H.S.) was the recipient of the ROTC Leadership Award. Windle served as Bucknell's starting punter for the third straight year, and while throughout his career he had been a backup linebacker, this season he enjoyed a banner year and was one of the team's most valuable defenders. Windle, who began the year at strong safety before switching back to outside linebacker after starting OLB Juan Morales suffered a season-ending injury in the fourth game of the year, ranked fifth on the squad with 54 tackles (he entered the season with two in his career) and second with 13 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He also intercepted a pass.
As a punter, Windle averaged 36.1 yards per kick. A geography major with a 3.40 cumulative grade-point average, he was a Verizon Academic All-District selection this fall.
Senior outside linebacker Joe Massey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Canarsie H.S.) earned the Clarke Hinkle Award as the team's most outstanding defensive back or linebacker. Clarke Hinkle played at Bucknell from 1929-32 and is generally regarded as Bucknell's finest football player ever. He went on to a 10-year career with the Green Bay Packers as a fullback and linebacker and earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
One of the Patriot League's top pass rushers, Massey garnered first team all-conference accolades for the second straight year. He finished the season with 44 tackles, and 4.5 of his 12 tackles for loss were sacks. He also forced a pair of fumbles and blocked a field goal. With 22.5 career sacks, Massey ranks third in Bucknell history and 10th in Patriot League annals.
Junior offensive tackle Rashad Stallworth (Prichard, Ala./Blount H.S.) copped the John Campana Award as Bucknell's top offensive lineman. This award is named in honor of the outstanding Bison lineman in the late 1970s and co-captain of the 1979 team. Campana died in 1984 of cancer while serving in the U.S. Army. Stallworth started all 11 games at the key left tackle position and earned his first All-Patriot League recognition with a second-team citation this fall.
The Stuart M. Smith Award, presented to the Bison's most outstanding newcomer, went to freshman running back Blamah Sarnor (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area H.S.). Sarnor enjoyed a stellar rookie season and became the first Bucknell freshman to lead the team in rushing since Rich Lemon in 1993 (Lemon went on to become Bucknell's all-time leading rusher). Sarnor recorded 511 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season, and he was also the team's third-leading receiver with 21 catches out of the backfield.
Sarnor's presence was first felt in the fourth quarter of Bucknell's game at St. Mary's (Calif.), when he scored a touchdown in the final minute to send the game to overtime. He made his first career start the following week and rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown in a win over Cornell. Sarnor, who was twice named the Patriot League's Rookie of the Week in 2002, became the first Bison freshman to rush for 100 yards in a game since Lemon in 1993.
Interestingly, Sarnor is the second straight Coatesville Area High School graduate to win the Stuart M. Smith Award. In 2001, defensive tackle Corey Mayo was the top rookie, and Mayo enjoyed another outstanding season in 2002, starting all 11 games and finishing with 35 tackles and three sacks.
Junior wide receiver Tim Johnson (Eight Mile, Ala./LeFlore H.S.) garnered the C. Dale Wolfe Awards as the team's most inspirational player. The award is named after an inspirational Bucknell performer from the team's pioneer days on the gridiron. Wolfe earned varsity letters in 1891 and 1892. After appearing in nine games, including two starts, during his sophomore campaign, Johnson was relegated to junior varsity duty at the beginning of the 2002 season. But through hard work and determination, Johnson was back in the regular wideout rotation by season's end. One of the team's vocal leaders on the field, he finished with seven catches for 40 yards, including a team-high three grabs against Lehigh.
Sophomore free safety Frank Lazio (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony's H.S.) captured Bucknell's Special Teams Award. In addition to serving as a second-string safety, Lazio was a mainstay on special teams all season. Bucknell set a school record with 10 blocked kicks in 11 games this season, and Lazio had three of those blocks, all on punts.
Three seniors earned Coaches Awards in appreciation of their commitment to Bucknell football over the last four years - offensive guard Joe Schweitzer (Masillon, Ohio/Masillon Jackson H.S.), cornerback Adam Minggia (Reading, Pa./Reading H.S.) and fullback Matt Kawczenski (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Hanover H.S.).
Schweitzer became a regular starter for the first time in 2002 and enjoyed a solid, consistent season, despite some nagging injuries. Minggia also had never been a starter until his senior campaign, when injuries in the Bucknell secondary opened the door for that chance. He finished with 28 tackles, third-most among Bison defensive backs, and intercepted his first career pass in a league game against Colgate. Kawczenski missed a year and a half with a serious knee injury before returning as a top fullback in 2002. While rehabilitating his injured knee, Kawczenski remained with the program as a student assistant coach, and this season resumed his role as a punishing blocker and good short-yardage runner.
Two of the awards handed out on Sunday went to the top players from specific games. The George McGaughey Award for the most outstanding player in the Lafayette game went to sophomore Daris Wilson (Kenner, La./Archbishop Rummel). McGaughey was an outstanding center at Bucknell in the 1930s and played on the first Orange Bowl team. After leaving Bucknell, he was a longtime coach and administrator at Lafayette. Wilson was an option quarterback in high school but had been a receiver at Bucknell until late this season. Looking for a spark from one of its most athletic players, the Bison coaching staff inserted Wilson back at quarterback late this season and he enjoyed an outstanding game against Lafayette, albeit in a losing cause. He rushed for 49 yards on nine carries in that game, and he finished the season as Bucknell's third-leading ground gainer with 172 yards. He scored his first career touchdown in the season finale against Fordham. As a receiver, Wilson ranked fourth on the team with 14 receptions totaling 124 yards.
The Keating-Rieu Award for the top performer in the Colgate game went to Horan, who had five catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in a 13-10 overtime loss to the Raiders. The award is named in honor of Dan Keating (Colgate) and George Rieu (Bucknell), who were teammates at Atlantic City High School in the late 1950s and played against each other for three years in high school. Tragically, both men died in the mid-1960s.
Senior Dane Helsing (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk H.S.) was the recipient of 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. Helsing is a former linebacker who was forced to the sideline due to injury. He stuck with the program and served as a student athletic trainer under the direction of Mark Keppler.
Finally, two Bison freshmen were awarded Scout Team Player of the Year honors. On offense, offensive lineman Stephen Watts (LaGrange, Ga./Troup H.S.) was honored, while on defense the award went to defensive lineman Jacob Burney (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day).
Late in the season it was announced that Lord, Carruthers and senior fullback Todd Warmington (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda H.S.) were voted by their teammates as permanent team captains. The trio was presented with Captains Awards at the banquet.
Bucknell finished a difficult season with a 2-9 record, with four of its first five losses coming by six points or less.
In addition to the special award winners, a total of 61 players were awarded varsity letters. Thirty student-athletes received a letter for the first time, while seven players joined an elite list of four-year lettermen. The following are Bucknell's 2002 varsity lettermen:
First-year lettermen:
Freshman defensive tackle Brandon Bailey (Newark, Del./Glasgow H.S.), senior wide receiver/punter Andrew Baumberger (Philadelphia, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy), freshman kicker Ryan Bower (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville Area H.S.), senior center John Bzdick (Archbald, Pa./Valley View H.S.), sophomore quarterback Cole Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa./Williams Valley H.S.), junior center Andrew Cinamella (Pottsville, Pa./Blue Mountain H.S.), freshman tight end Sean Conover (Whitman, Mass./Whitman-Hanson H.S.), sophomore running back Raphael Darrington (Mobile, Ala./Williamson H.S.), sophomore offensive guard Aaron DeGraffenreidt (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield), sophomore offensive tackle Justin Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem H.S.), sophomore cornerback Joe Glenn (New Haven, Conn./East Haven H.S.), sophomore quarterback John Henry Jackson (Orange, Calif./Villa Park H.S.), freshman running back Antwan Kennedy (Miami, Fla./Booker T. Washington H.S.), sophomore free safety Frank Lazio, senior tight end Ken Lockard (Berwick, Pa./Berwick H.S.), freshman wide receiver Matt Miller (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius H.S.), sophomore linebacker Steven Millhouse (Theodore, Ala./Theodore H.S.), senior cornerback Adam Minggia, sophomore cornerback Jeffrey Montagna (Yatesville, Pa./Pittston Area H.S.), sophomore tight end Ian Nutt (Warren, Ohio/Howland H.S.), freshman linebacker Jeff Orazi (Irwin, Pa./Norwin Senior H.S.), freshman linebacker Chris Praylo (New Orleans, La./Jesuit H.S.), freshman linebacker Zach Richards (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby H.S.), freshman wide receiver/cornerback Dante Ross (Groton, Pa./Robert E. Fitch H.S.), freshman running back Blamah Sarnor, sophomore linebacker Mike Shover (Camp Hill, Pa./Camp Hill H.S.), junior defensive tackle Shawn Tidwell (Nampa, Idaho/Vallivue H.S./Ricks J.C.), sophomore wide receiver Nisan Trotter (Silverhill, Ala./Robertsdale H.S.), freshman cornerback Ryan Whitfield (LaGrange, Ga./LaGrange H.S.) and junior linebacker Brock Williamson (Preston, Idaho/Preston H.S./Ricks J.C.).
Second-year lettermen:
Junior wide receiver Evan Crawford (Tamarac, Fla./Piper H.S.), junior tight end Dave Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem H.S.), junior wide receiver Tim Johnson, senior fullback Matt Kawczenski, junior offensive tackle Steve Kerr (Grafton, Mass./Worcester Academy), junior wide receiver Albert Marquardt (Girardsville, Pa./North Schuylkill H.S.), junior strong safety Jared Marsilio (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk H.S.), sophomore defensive tackle Corey Mayo, sophomore linebacker Kevin Ransome (Bear, Del./Christiana H.S.), junior strong safety Will Smith (Hattiesburg, Miss./Hattiesburg H.S.), junior offensive tackle Rashad Stallworth, sophomore linebacker David Ulmer (Farmington, N.Y./Victor H.S.), and sophomore wide receiver/quarterback Daris Wilson.
Third-year lettermen:
Senior defensive tackle Gary Carruthers, senior linebacker Peter Christathakis (Keyport, N.J./Keyport H.S.), junior free safety Mike Leatherman (Colora, Md./John Carroll School), junior cornerback Anthony Lewis (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill H.S.), junior fullback J.C. Morgan (Middletown, Del./Middletown H.S.), junior linebacker Stephane Pluviose (Cliffwood Beach, N.J./Matawan Regional H.S.), senior offensive guard Joe Schweitzer, senior defensive tackle Eric Storm, senior quarterback Todd Wenrich (Herndon, Pa./Line Mountain H.S.) and senior linebacker/punter Billy Windle.
Fourth-year lettermen:
Senior offensive guard Luman Bauta (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep), senior wide receiver Jim Horan, senior nose guard Adam Lord, senior kicker Chris Lundberg (Phoenix, Ariz./Thunderbird H.S.), senior linebacker Joe Massey, senior linebacker Juan Morales (Bronx, N.Y./Mount St. Michael), senior fullback Todd Warmington.
