Bucknell University Athletics
Dante Ross Honored at National, Patriot League and Bucknell Levels Following Record-Setting Afternoon in Win over Georgetown
10/4/2004 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 4, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Just 48 hours after splattering his name all over the Bucknell and Patriot League record books with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a 35-19 win over Georgetown, Bison junior Dante Ross (Groton, Conn./Robert E. Fitch H.S.) was honored with a trio of weekly awards on Monday.
Ross was selected as The Sports Network Division I-AA Special Teams Player of the Week, the Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week and the Lewisburg Hotel Bison Athlete of the Week. He became the first Bison to receive the national honor since Joe Glenn was cited as defensive player of the week after notching three interceptions and a game-clinching fumble recovery against Duquesne in the 2003 season opener.
After racking up 510 total yards in a 42-13 win over Columbia the previous week, Bucknell's spread option offense struggled in muddy field conditions Saturday at Harbin Field in Washington, D.C. But just after the Hoyas ran an interception back 99 yards to grad a 13-7 lead late in the second quarter, Ross single-handedly surged the Bison ahead. First he raced 97 yards virtually untouched, answering Georgetown's big play with one of his own just 14 seconds later.
Clinging to a 14-13 lead at intermission, Bucknell got another lift from Ross, this time in the form of an 85-yard return for a score on the opening kickoff of the second half.
Not only had no other Bucknell or Patriot League player ever returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game, no player had ever returned two in the same season. In fact, in a span of just 6:14 of clock time, Ross tied the career records as well. The NCAA record for kickoff returns in a game is three.
Terrance Parham was the only other Bison to run two kickoffs back for touchdowns, doing so in 1994 and 1996. Fordham's Javarus Dudley and Lehigh's Ronald Jean were the only other Patriot Leaguers to accomplish the feat.
Ross accumulated 198 kickoff return yards on three attempts against Georgetown, smashing the Bucknell single-game record of 172, previously set by Earl Beecham against New Hampshire in 1985. His 97-yard bolt was the third-longest return in school history, surpassed only by 99-yard returns by Justin Brumbaugh against Dickinson in 1929 and Parham against Towson in 1996.
Thanks to Saturday's record-setting performance Bucknell took over the national lead in kickoff return average at 29.7 yards per attempt. Individually, Ross ranks fourth at 35.9 yards per return.
Ross also returns punts for the Bison and had a solid day there as well. He returned six punts for 69 yards, including a near-breakaway that resulted in a 39-yard return that set up a short field goal attempt.
In addition to being an elite returner, Ross' primary job is as a starting cornerback for Bucknell. Against Georgetown on Saturday he was second on the team with six tackles and he broke up a two-point conversion pass that would have tied the game at 21-21 with 1:40 left in the third quarter. Instead, the Bison retained the lead and never again trailed.
The victory was Bucknell's third straight since a season-opening loss to Villanova. Now 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Patriot League play, the Bison return home this week to face Ivy League power Penn at 1 p.m.
