Friday,
December 5, 2003
Written by Elliott Wiley, Jr.
MEDFORD
-- It's early December, almost a month after Head Coach Bill Samko's Tufts
University Football team took its last snap of the season, and the accolades are
still pouring in for some Jumbos. Senior defensive back Mark
Tilki (Derby, CT/Derby) was named to the First Team of the Football
Gazette NCAA Division III All-East Region Team today. Senior defensive and
offensive linemen Caleb Hudak (White
River Jct., VT/Hartford) and Justin
Kelley (Northfield, MA/Deerfield Academy),
both team captains, were named to the Third Team.
All
three have previously been named to the All-New England Small College Athletic
Conference (NESCAC) First Team and to the New England Football Writers'
All-Division II-III Team.
Tilki,
named All-NESCAC first team as a defensive back and return specialist, enjoyed a
superb senior season. In eight games he nabbed five interceptions for a total of
131 return yards, including two touchdowns.
In addition to making good breaks for the football, Tilki also finished
the season with 29 tackles.
Tilki's
best games of the season were during week two at Bates and against Bowdoin in
week three. At Bates, Tilki had two interceptions, one deep in Tufts' territory
and the other a fourth-quarter 40-yard touchdown return to seal the 24-14
victory. Against Bowdoin, Tilki brought back a season-long 51-yard interception
return for a touchdown and had 4.5 tackles. He was named NESCAC Defensive Player
of the Week after both games.
Hudak
has always been a solid performer in the NESCAC, being named to the
All-Conference First Team since his sophomore season. This season he capped his
career with a huge season for the third-ranked defense in the conference. The
quad-captain finished second on the team in total tackles with 58. He was the
only member of the team to reach double digits in tackles for losses with 14 for
a negative 40 yards, and also accumulated three sacks.
The
greatest moment of the 2003 season was during Tufts' 24-17 overtime win over
conference rival Amherst on October 25. In the overtime session after Tufts went
ahead on a touchdown drive in its previous possession, Amherst needed seven
points to stay alive. Hudak put any hopes of a comeback to rest after making his
only interception of the season off of a pass deflection.
Kelley
was the brains of the Tufts offense. Playing center, the 6'1", 290-pound
quad-captain anchored an offensive line with three new starters. A player who
led with emotion and by example, he is a four-year starter who knew the offense
as well as anyone. Tufts rushed for 149 yards per game with Kelley and the line
being instrumental in the early success of junior Steve
Cincotta (Newton, MA/Middlesex School) and later success of senior
quad-captain Tim Mack (St. Louis, MO/Borroughs).
The
Jumbos finished 5-3, third in the NESCAC. They were ranked 10th in
the final New England Division III poll.
#