Rams Honored at Annual Fordham Football Awards Dinner

Bronx, N.Y. – Members of the 2017 Fordham University football squad were honored at the annual Fordham Football Awards Dinner held in the McGinley Center on Sunday, February 25. Special team awards presented to members of the team included the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year (Dervin Hylton, Jr.), the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year (Clayton Welsh), the Special Teams Trophy (Antonio Jackson), the Academic Achievement Awards (Jonathan Dimon), the Macken Award (Vincent Sansone), the Bill Tierney Award (Garrett Donaldson), the Danowski Award (Chase Edmonds), the Lansing Trophy (Anthony Coyle), the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Award (Dylan Mabin), the 2016 Offensive Player of the Year Award (Kevin Anderson) and the Rich Marrin, FCRH '65, LAW '68, Most Valuable Player Award (Dylan Mabin).
 
Hylton and Welsh received the defensive and offensive scout team players of the year honor, respectively, for the hard work and dedication they put in during the week to get the Rams ready for their next opponent. This work often goes unnoticed by the fans on Saturday but is highly valued by the coaching staff.
 
Jackson received the special team trophy after excelling on both special teams and at defensive back, playing on three of the four special team squads. He started all eleven games at strong safety in 2017, finishing third on the Fordham defense with 63 total tackles, 46 solo, including two for loss. He also led the team with four interceptions to go with four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Jackson ranked second in the Patriot League and 32nd in the NCAA FCS in interceptions/game (0.4).
 
The Academic Award honors the football student-athletes with the highest GPA. This year the academic advisors recognized Dimon, an Applied Accounting and Finance major with a 3.81 GPA who was named CoSIDA Academic All-District last fall as well as to the Academic All-Patriot League team. He started all eleven games for the Rams at defensive end, recording eight tackles, five solo, including two for loss and one fumble, along with two fumble recoveries.
 
The Macken Award 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.
 
Sansone, a senior linebacker, appeared in all eleven games for the Rams in 2017, making a pair of stops.
 
Donaldson, a senior offensive lineman, was named the recipient of 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.
 
In 2017 Donaldson appeared in all eleven games for the Rams, starting nine. He saw action at both right guard and right tackle, displaying his versatility when the Fordham line was beset with injuries. Donaldson helped the Fordham offense average 371.7 yards of total offense/game, third best in the Patriot League, including 238.9 passing yards/game, also third best in the league and 31st among all NCAA FCS teams.
 

Edmonds, the Patriot League preseason offensive player of the year who was limited by injuries this year but still managed to garner second team All-League accolades, was the recipient of the 2017 Danowski Award, given annually to the 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. He rushed 136 times for 577 yards and five scores in seven games last fall. He also caught eleven passes for 129 yards. Despite missing four games to injury, Edmonds ranked fourth in the Patriot League in total rushing yards.
 
Edmonds closed out his career with 5,862 career rushing yards along with 74 career touchdowns and 67 career rushing touchdown, all school and Patriot League records. His 5,862 career rushing yards is fifth best in NCAA FCS history while his 67 career rushing touchdowns is fourth best and his career rushing yards/game average of 133.2 is 14th best. He also amassed 7,374 career all-purpose yards, a school and Patriot League career record, tenth best in NCAA FCS history.
 
Coyle, who earned first team All-Patriot League honors as well as All-ECAC accolades in 2017, was named recipient of the Lansing Trophy, named for Jim Lansing, a former player and coach who was a consensus All-American, in 1941, for the second straight year.  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.
 
Coyle, a first team All-Patriot League and ECAC All-Star selection this fall, started all eleven games at left tackle for the Rams in 2017. He blocked for an offense that averaged 371.7 yards of total offense/game, third best in the Patriot League, including 238.9 passing yards/game, also third best in the league and 31st among all NCAA FCS teams.
 
Anderson, who earned the Fordham Offensive Player of the Year award for the third straight season, saw his season interrupted by injuries but still completed 150 of 245 passes for 1,756 yards and 14 touchdowns in eight games as well as running for a score.
Over his Fordham career, Anderson, a three-year starter, completed 580 of 912 passes for 7,663 yards and 73 touchdowns. He set a new Fordham career passing touch­down record with the 73 and finished in third place on the Fordham career passing yards list (7,663) and on the Fordham career completions list with 580.
 
Mabin, a first team All-Patriot League selection last fall, received the 2017 Fordham Football Defensive Player of the Year award as well as the Rich Marrin FCRH '65, LAW '68, Most Valuable Player Award. A starter at cornerback for the Rams in 2017, recorded 44 total tackles, 35 solo, including three for loss. He also led the team with 19 pass breakups, ranking second in the Patriot League and third in the NCAA FCS in passes defended (1.6/game). Mabin forced two fumbles and recovered one and returned 30 kickoffs for 672 yards (22.4 yards/return), including one for 93 yards and a touchdown, and three punts for 20 yards.
 

Donaldson spoke on behalf of the players, thanking the coaching staff and his teammate for the past four years and providing the underclassmen with some advice.
 
"I would not trade the experiences over the past four years for the world," said Donaldson. "I've gained some of the greatest and lifelong friends over the past four years and even though this season didn't go as planned, I learned more this season than any of the previous three. And for the players who are returning next year I say stay humble, stay hungry and respect the process."
 
New head coach Joe Conlin then took to the dais and called up each senior member, with each receiving a framed jersey and then offered a final recap to the 2017 season.
 
"Even though I haven't had the chance to coach any of these student-athletes I had the chance to play against them twice and I have the utmost respect for them," said Conlin. "Winning 32 games over the past four years is not easy."
 
Conlin then looked ahead to the 2018 season stating "the only promise I will make is that we will work hard and play a style of game you'll be proud of and one that the players will have fun playing."
 
The Rams are scheduled to open their 119th season of varsity football on Saturday, September 1, as they travel to Charlotte, N.C., to face the Charlotte 49ers. Fordham is entering its 29th season as a member of the NCAA FCS Patriot League.