Teams: Football: Press Releases

Monday, December 1, 2008

TOM TASSINARI NAMED TO PRESTIGIOUS NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL WRITERS' TEAM

MEDFORD -- Junior safety Tom Tassinari (Andover, MA) of the Tufts University football team has been named to the 2008 New England Football Writers Division II/III All-New England team. He is one of just four defensive backs recognized from among all of the Div. II/III programs in New England, and is one of just two Div. III DB's on the list.

The team will be honored at the New England Football Writers Banquet on Thursday, December 11 at Casa di Fiore in Wilmington.

An All-Conference pick this year and last, Tassinari had another outstanding season for the Jumbos. From the safety position, he was fourth on the team with 50 tackles, including 33 solo stops. He made a season-high 14 tackles (11 solos) in an overtime loss at Trinity on October 11.

With Division I size in the defensive backfield at 6'3", 210 pounds, Tassinari intercepted five passes in '08 and returned them for a total of 127 yards. For the second straight year, he had an interception return for a touchdown when he took one back 48 yards against Bates on September 27. He also had three interceptions for 79 yards in returns at Middlebury on November 8, all coming in the first half. He returned the first 48 yards, leading to a Tufts field goal. The second, on the next Middlebury possession, was returned 31 yards and set up a Jumbo touchdown. His third pick against the Panthers came at the Tufts 1-yard line, stopping Middlebury from going in and preserving a 17-7 Jumbo lead at the time.

Tied for second in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) with five interceptions, his 0.63 per game average tied for 17th in Division III nationally. Including four pass break-ups, his nine passes defended for the Jumbos in eight games were among the NCAA Div. III top 100.

Tassinari is the first Jumbo selected to the prestigious All-New England team since Chris Decembrele in 2005. With five interceptions for the Jumbos last season, Tassinari now has 10 in his career.

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