Jan. 15, 2008
Bronx, N.Y. - The accolades keep coming in for Fordham University senior punter Benjamin Dato (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing) who was named First Team Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-America by the CollegeSportsReport.com as well as to the ECAC All-Star Team. This is the third All-America honor for Dato this season as he was also named First Team All-America by The Sports Network earlier this month and Second Team All-America by the Associated Press in December. The honors marks the seventh time a Ram has been named All-America over the past six years, as Dato joins Earl Hudnell (2007), Marcus Taylor (2006), Tad Kornegay (2004), Kirwin Watson (2002 and 2003) and Javarus Dudley (2003).
Beside Dato's individual accolades, the 2007 Fordham squad has also been recognized as the Patriot League Team of the Year by CollegeSportsReport.com while also placing eighth in the final ECAC Lambert Meadowlands Championship Subdivision Football Poll.
Dato, who was named First Team All-Patriot League this fall for the second straight season, led the League and ranked third in the NCAA FCS, averaging 44.66 per punt. He kicked 67 times for 2,992 yards with 26 of his 67 punts being down inside the opponent's 20. His 2,992 punting yards is a Fordham single season record, surpassing the former record of 2,931 yards set by Anthony DiFino in 2005.
Dato was named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2007. He helped the Fordham punt return squad record the highest net punting averaging in all of NCAA Division I football (40.52 yards/punt).
Over his career, Dato punted 125 times for 5,579 yards, an average of 44.6 yards/punt. His 44.6 yards/punt average is a Fordham career record, surpassing Barry Cantrell's mark of 39.9 yards/punt set between 1994 and 1997. Dato also is ranked fifth on Fordham's all-time punt yardage list.
The Rams finished the season with a 8-4 overall record, 5-1 in the Patriot League, winning their second League championship and advancing to the NCAA Football Championship where they fell to Massachusetts, 49-35, in the first round.
