Teams: Football: Press Releases

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

TASSINARI ON D3FOOTBALL.COM ALL-EAST SECOND TEAM

MEDFORD -- Junior safety Tom Tassinari (Andover, MA) of the Tufts University football team was one of three New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) players named to D3football.com All-East Region first or second team for the 2008 season. Three teams were announced by the website overall on Tuesday.

The D3football East Region consists of teams from New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Tassinari, a second team selection, is the only NESCAC defender among the 22 players picked by D3football for the first and second teams. He is also one of only four defenders from New England Division III  honored on the first or second team. Ten players from New England overall are on the first and second team offenses and defenses.

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 is 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.

In addition to being All-NESCAC first team for the last two seasons, Tassinari was also the first Jumbo selected to the prestigious New England Football Writers' All-New England team since Chris Decembrele in 2005. With five interceptions for the Jumbos last season, Tassinari now has 10 in his career.

►2008 D3football.com All-East Region teams

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