(April 28, 2006) ?C Jack Clary, a 1954 Fordham College graduate, and Dr. Andy Cordaro, a 1966 Fordham College graduate, and his wife Susie, were honored with the Mara Family Award and the Walsh Award, respectively, at the annual Fordham Gridiron Club Dinner held at the New York Athletic Club on April 28th. The Mara Family and Walsh Awards honor members of the Fordham football family for their dedication and contributions to the program. The Mara Family Award is named in honor of the family of the late Wellington Mara, a 1937 graduate of Fordham, while the Walsh Award in named in honor of William D. Walsh, namesake of the Walsh Athletic training Center as well as the Walsh Family Library on the Rose Hill campus. Clary, a 1954 graduate of Fordham College, served as the first junior editor of The Ram as a student. Following Army service and tenure as the Grantland Rice Fellow at Columbia University??s graduate School of Journalism, he worked for 15 years as a sports writer and columnist for The Associated Press, New York World-Telegram & Sun and Boston Herald Traveler. The award-winning author has been a free-lance sports media specialist since 1972 and has written more than 50 books and 300 magazine articles, working with such personalities as Paul Brown, Tom Laundry, Don Shula, John Madden, Pete Rose, Roger Staubach and Jim Palmer. Clary, who was inducted into the Fordham University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, is also very active in alumni activities, including the Fordham Gridiron Club. Dr. Andy and Susie Cordaro, who have been active members of the Fordham Gridiron Club for many years, were presented the Walsh Award for their generous contributions to the Fordham football program. The Fordham Football Awards were also announced at the dinner with Anthony DiFino winning the Macken Award, James Caffarello receiving the Danowski Award, Ed Gordon and Michael Sabatini being named co-recipients of the Lansing Trophy, Tommie Stephens earning the Bill Tierney Award and James Prydatko being named the Team??s Most Valuable Player. DiFino, a First Team All-Patriot League pick in 2005, received the Macken Award which was established in memory of Rams?? special assistant coach Bob Macken, who passed away suddenly in June of 1992. Coach Macken was a key part of the Fordham staff for seven seasons, always handling the ??little things?? that are so vital to keeping a program going. He took special pride in working with the special teams, and his ??Macken Pizza Party?? for the top special teams plays of the year were a source of great pride for the team. DiFino, who was named Second Team All-Patriot League in 2004, led the conference in punting this fall with a 39.6 yards/punt average, over two yards longer than the second-ranked punter. On the year, DiFino, who ranked 29th in the NCAA I-AA in punting average, punted 74 times for 2,931 yards without having one blocked. He placed 18 of his 74 punts inside the opponent??s 20 and also gained 26-yards rushing on a fake punt that gave the Rams a first down in the Bucknell game on a play that would lead to a Fordham touchdown. DiFino??s 2,931 punting yards is a school single-season record, surpassing Barry Cantrell??s record of 2,890 set in 1997 while the 74 punts for DiFino is the third most in a single season at Fordham. Over his career, DiFino punted 147 times for 5,638 yards, an average of 38.4 yards/punt. The 38.4 yards/punt average is the second best all-time at Fordham and the ninth best all-time in Patriot League history, while the 5,638 career punting yards is fifth all-time in school history. Caffarello, a 2005 team captain, was the recipient of the Danowski Award, given annually to the senior football player who through his leadership, sacrifice, and commitment to excellence upon the field of play and within the University community exemplifies the character of Danowski, a former Fordham player and head coach. The tight end started ten games for the Rams last year, catching 13 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown. The senior tri-captain closed out his career with 45 receptions for 516 yards and five touchdowns in 44 career games. Gordon and Sabatini were co-recipients of the Lansing Trophy, named for Jim Lansing, a former player and coach who was a consensus All-American, in 1941. That was the same season that Fordham downed Missouri 2-0 to capture the 1942 Sugar Bowl. As a coach, Lansing won national club championships in 1965 and 1968, and became the school??s first varsity coach since 1954 when the program was elevated to Division III in 1970. In five club seasons and two varsity campaigns, Lansing posted a 29-20-3 record. Gordon, who was named Second Team All-Patriot League the past two falls, started all eleven games for the Rams in 2005, finishing the year with 59 total tackles, 23 solo, including 6.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks. He also had three pass break-ups and one forced fumble. Over his career, the 2005 tri-captain recorded 169 total tackles in 46 games, including 21 tackles for a loss and 12 sacks. Sabatini, a two-year starter on the offensive line, was a big reason for James Prydatko rushing for more than 1,000 yards. The 6??3, 270-pounder, started every game at left tackle, one of only three offensive linemen to start every game in 2005 as the line was hit by injuries. Stephens, a starter at corner back for the Rams in 2005, received the Bill Tierney Spirit Award, presented annually to the Fordham varsity player who in the estimate of his teammates, represents the spirit that Bill so unselfishly exemplified. A special Ram award was commissioned by Ernest H. Hammer, FCO ??55, and created by David Hacker (a New York artist and a former formidable football player at California). The award is presented annually to the winner of the Bill Tierney Award. Tierney suffered a cardiac arrest brought on by viral myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, on October 12, 1996 while warming up for the Homecoming football game. Stephens recorded 40 total tackles last fall, 28 solo, along with two pass break-ups and two fumbles recovered despite playing part of the season with a broken finger. Prydatko, who was named Second Team All-Patriot League in 2005, was named the team Most Valuable Player. He led all Fordham rushers with 1,022 yards on 233 carries with five touchdowns, becoming just the second Fordham player on the NCAA I-AA level, and fifth overall, to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark. He also caught 14 passes for 111 yards on the year while returning eight punts for 25 yards and eight kickoffs for 150 yards (18.8 yards/return). Prydatko was ranked second in the Patriot League in rushing yards/game (92.9), 31st in the NCAA I-AA, and overall rushing yards while ranking fifth in all-purpose yards (118.9/game). Over his career, Prydatko gained 1,528 rushing yards on 333 carries with ten touchdowns. The Rams will open the 2006 season on Saturday, September 2nd as they host Monmouth University on Jack Coffey Field at 6:00 p.m.