Covitz earns AP All-American honors
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The postseason honors continue to roll in for senior defensive end Jeff Covitz (Reading, Mass.) as he became just the third Associated Press FCS All-American in program history, it was announced last week.
Covitz was named to the third team, joining Bryant greats Lorenzo Perry and Jordan Brown as the only players to earn AP honors. He and Wagner defensive back Jarrett Dieudonne were the only two players from the Northeast Conference recognized. In addition to his AP honors, Covitz was also named a Third Team All-American by College Sports Madness.
Arguably the greatest defensive player in program history and one of the best in NEC history, Covitz enjoyed an outstanding senior season. The NEC Defensive Player of the Year, he finished with 59 tackles, eight sacks and a league-leading and program record 23 tackles for a loss. Covitz was at his best in three of Bryant's biggest non-conference wins. He had 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss against Stony Brook, 2.5 tackles for a loss against Maine and eight tackles and a career-high four sacks against Bucknell. Covitz finished his career as the NECs all-time leader with 29.5 sacks and wraps up his time in Smithfield with 191 tackles and a program-record 66 tackles for a loss.
With Covitz spearheading the defense, the Black and Gold finished in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense (16.1) and total defense (299.9).