July 25, 2012
2012 Patriot League Preseason Release | 2012 Preseason All-Patriot League Release
Bethlehem, Pa. -
The Patriot League officially kicked off the 2012 football season today with its annual Media Day at the Green Pond Country Club. Besides announcing the predicted order of finish for the 2012 season, the league also announced a Preseason All-League team with Fordham's Patrick Murray, Michael Martin and Nick Womack being named to the squad.
The announcement of the preseason All-League team was a first for the Patriot League. Lehigh led all schools with seven selections to the team, while Holy Cross followed with six. Georgetown had four selections while Bucknell, Fordham and Colgate had three players honored, and Lafayette notched a pair.
Murray, who was also named Second Team Preseason All-America by College Sports Madness on Tuesday, receives yet another preseason accolade as the senior punter was also named a Preseason All-American by The Sports Network (Second Team) and First Team Preseason All-Patriot League by College Sports Madness earlier this summer.
Murray, who was named to the 2012 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Punt Performer Award Watch List, punted 49 times for 2,160 yards last fall, an average of 44.1 yards/punt, tops in the Patriot League and third best in the NCAA FCS. He landed 21 of his kicks inside the opponent's 20 this fall and had 16 of his 49 punts travel more than 50 yards, including a season-long 73-yarder. The 73 yard punt, which came at Rhode Island, tied his career-high and was the second longest punt in school history (the Fordham record is 85 yards by Len Eshmont in 1939). Murray also booted a 73-yard punt at Colgate in 2009.
Martin, a two-year starter at linebacker who was also named First Team Preseason All-Patriot League by College Sports Madness last week, is coming off a 2011 season in which he led the Rams with 94 total tackles, 51 solo, including three for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also had two pass breakups and one forced fumble. Martin finished sixth in the Patriot League in tackles/game (8.5) and recorded double figures in total tackles in a game three times. He made a career-high 15 tackles, 12 solo, against Lehigh.
Over his career, Martin has compiled 207 total tackles, 118 solo, including eleven for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Womack, a senior linebacker, is coming off a solid 2011 campaign where he appeared in ten games for the Rams, starting all ten. He led the team with six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks while recording 38 total tackles, 27 solo, and also forcing a fumble. Womack opened the season with five tackles, including one sack, and intercepted a pass at Connecticut and followed that with five stops, including 1.5 sacks, and a pass interception which he returned 100 yards for a touchdown in the win over Columbia. The 100-yard return tied the school record for longest play in Fordham history. He was named Honorable Mention NCAA FCS Linebacker Performer of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards following the Columbia game.
Over his career, Womack has recorded 72 career tackles, 51 solo, in 26 games. Included in those 72 stops are 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks, and he has three career pass deflections and two interceptions.
Voting for the individual awards and preseason All-League Team was conducted by the Patriot League's head coaches and football sports information directors, who could not vote for their own players. Both Spadola and McCabe were unanimous selections as preseason individual award winners by their peers. The group also voted on the Patriot League preseason poll.
Lehigh, two-time defending Patriot League champions, were predicted to take home the title for the third straight year. The Mountain Hawks earned the top spot by receiving 11 first-place votes and accumulating 60 points in preseason poll voting by football head coaches and sports information directors, who did not include their own school in the selections. Holy Cross followed the Mountain Hawks with 46 points and a first-place vote, while Colgate (36), Georgetown (33/two first-place votes), Lafayette (32) and Bucknell (15) completed the preseason poll order.
Fordham was not included in the poll because it will not be able to compete for the Patriot League championship and NCAA automatic bid in 2012, and its games against League members will not count towards the final standings for either team.
The Patriot League football season kicks off on Aug. 30 when Fordham plays host to Lock Haven and Holy Cross welcomes New Hampshire. Two days later, Lehigh opens the season at home against Monmouth while Colgate visits Albany and Georgetown pays a visit to Davidson. Lafayette heads to William & Mary and Bucknell visits Marist in season openers on Sept. 8, with the Leopards and Bison squaring off in the Patriot League opener in Lewisburg on Sept. 22 at Noon on CBS Sports Network.
Fordham season and individual game tickets are now on sale. For information or to order click here or call the Ticket Office at 855-RAM-TIXS (855-716-8497) or (718) 817-4759.
