Nov. 25, 2008

EASTON, Pa. - Senior LB Andy Romans (Allendale, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) has been named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, the second consecutive award for the three-time All-Patriot League honoree. Romans is the second Patriot League student-athlete to earn two overall and consecutive Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honors, and his award is the fourth in Lafayette's history. Dan Bengele won back-to-back honors in 1997.

A finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award given to the Top Defensive Player in the FCS, Romans made 96 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one blocked kick for the Leopards, who finished 7-4 overall and 3-3 in Patriot League play. He led a Lafayette defense that placed first in the Patriot League and in the top 20 nationally in rushing, total and scoring defense. Romans earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors three times in 2008, coming in consecutive weeks from Oct. 6-20. He received both the Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Oct. 20, as he recorded 12 tackles and a blocked punt that he returned for a touchdown in Lafayette's 35-21 win at No. 14 Liberty on Oct. 18. He was also named a National All-Star by College Sporting News for that performance. Romans finishes his career with 326 total tackles, good for 10th place among active FCS players.

Romans is one of three Lafayette players to collect All-Patriot League First-Team honors on the defensive side of the ball. Junior Mark Leggiero (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetequot), who played alongside Romans at the linebacker spot, finished with 93 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception to earn First-Team All-League status after receiving Second-Team honors last year.

Lafayette senior DE Jason Mills (Stony Point, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) earned his first All-Patriot League distinction on the defensive line after finishing with 40 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks is his first season as a full-time starter.

Senior fullback Joe Russo (Utica, N.Y./T.R. Proctor) was the Leopards' lone offensive selection on the All-Patriot League First Team. Russo garners First-Team honors for the second straight season. The team co-captain had 186 rushing yards and three touchdowns to go with 14 receptions for 150 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Joe Russo

The All-Patriot League Second Team is comprised of four selections from the Leopards. Senior wideout Shaun Adair (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) caps a stellar four-year career, three of which came as a starter, with his second straight Second-Team honor. Adair finished as one of the top receivers in Lafayette history with 2,190 receiving yards and 148 career receptions which ranks him third and fourth, respectively, in the Lafayette record books. In 2008, Adair made 52 catches for 759 yards with five touchdowns and also rushed for 106 yards and one touchdown.

Adair was also named as the All-Patriot League Second-Team return specialist, making him the first player to be honored at two positions on the all-league team since Fordham P/K Matt Fordyce in 2002. Adair had 23 kick returns for 360 yards (15.7 yards per return) while returning 17 punts for 130 yards (7.6 yards per return).

Like Adair, senior TE Michael Conte (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) earns All-Patriot League laurels for the second straight season, after a first-team naming in 2007. Conte made 10 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns while also leading the way for the Lafayette running game. The bulk of his offensive production came against Bucknell when he had 118 receiving yards, including a 51-yard touchdown pass. Conte did so while playing with a broken bone in his back in the final games of the season.

Senior Leo Plenski (Bristol, Pa./Bristol) and junior Ryan Hart-Predmore (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) earned places on the Second Team. Plenski, who also served as the team's long snapper, completed his third season with time in the starting eleven, spending his last two seasons as the right tackle. Hart-Predmore, who ended his second year as a starter, started all 11 contests at left tackle. The duo helped pave the way for three running backs who had 300 or more yards and a running game that ranks 29th in the nation.

Sophomore Davis Rodriguez (St. Petersburg, Fla./St. Petersburg Catholic) is one of just five underclassmen from any Patriot League team to earn All-League honors in 2008. The Leopards' place kicker made 13 of 15 field goal attempts and was 4-of-5 from a distance of 40 to 49 yards, including a career long of 47 at Colgate. Rodriguez also converted 32-of-33 PATs, and at one point had a streak of 48 straight dating back to 2007.

Overall, Holy Cross senior QB Dominic Randolph was named the Offensive Player of the Year, and in joining Romans as the Defensive Player of the Year, marked the first time in Patriot League history that both major award winners were repeat selections. Colgate's Dick Biddle was named Patriot League Coach of the Year while Colgate freshman TB Nate Eachus became the fifth consecutive running back to win the League's Rookie of the Year honor.

Colgate led the way in both overall and First-Team All-League selections. The Raiders had 12 student-athletes selected to the All-League team, including eight First-Team honorees. Holy Cross followed the Raiders with 11 All-League selections, including five First-Team picks that all came on the offensive side of the ball. Lafayette had 10 student-athletes earn All-League status, one more than its rival across the valley. Fordham had five All-League selections, Bucknell had four and Georgetown had two, as every team was represented on the squad.