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Teams: Football: Press
Releases
Thursday, November 16, 2006
ANDERSON, DECEMBRELE, McGEARY SELECTED ALL-NESCAC
MEDFORD -- Three
members of the Tufts University football team were named to the All-New England
Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) teams after a vote by the coaches on
Wednesday.
Junior fullback Kevin
Anderson (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton) and senior defensive end Chris
Decembrele (Walpole, MA/Walpole) were both placed on the First Team, while
senior center Ryan McGeary (Sudbury,
MA/Lincoln-Sudbury) was a Second Team pick.
Anderson had the unique
accomplishment of making the First Team despite playing fullback. He was
effective when he carried the ball, gaining 65 yards on 17 carries and catching
four passes. However, his All-Conference recognition is more for his status as
the best blocking back in the league. Behind his blocks, Tufts was third in
rushing in NESCAC with 135.4 yards per game. The 6'2", 255-pound fullback
was one of the hardest workers in the league, as Tufts rushed a league-high 338
times.
The 2006 season brings
to a close Decembrele's outstanding career. He led head coach Bill Samko's
team in tackles for the third straight year with 64 for an average of eight per
game. Forty-two of his stops were solo and 9.5 times he dropped opponents in the
backfield. Dropping back in pass coverage and batting down passes at the line,
he was credited with five pass break-ups as well. The 6'0", 230-pound Jumbo
also had a sack and recovered a fumble.
This is the third
straight year that Decembrele has been deemed one of the league's best
defensive players the NESCAC coaches. He was a First Team honoree in 2005 and
garnered Second Team honors as a sophomore in 2004.
McGeary showed his
versatility as an All-Conference player at center this fall. A two-year starter
on the defensive line for Tufts, he moved across the line for 2006. At 6'2",
295-pounds, he was the starting point of an offense that ranked third in NESCAC
for third-down efficiency with a 37.5-percent success rate (45/120). The Jumbos
were also fourth in time of possession (31:23) and tied for fourth in first
downs gained (110).
Tufts finished 4-4 this
fall for its best record since the 2003 team's 5-3 mark. Their .500 mark
earned them fifth place in the 10-team NESCAC.
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