Bryant football celebrates 2017 with annual Football Awards Banquet
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team celebrated the 2017 season on Sunday afternoon with its annual Football Awards Banquet in the Multipurpose Athletic Center on campus.
The Bulldogs finished the year with a 6-5 record and a 4-2 mark in the Northeast Conference. It was Bryant's first winning season since 2014 and the ninth-straight year it has finished .500-or-better in NEC play.
BLACK & GOLD (BULLDOG) AWARD – Tom Kennedy
Kennedy returned to the football field and immediately became a key piece of Bryant's offense. He finished the year with 57 catches for 888 yards and nine touchdowns. Kennedy's 57 catches are the third-most in a single-season, his 888 receiving yards are fourth most and his nine touchdowns are tied for the second most. He finished the year by scoring a touchdown in each of the last eight games.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Tom Kennedy
Kennedy was also named the Offensive Player of the Year after finishing with 12 total touchdowns. He led the team with nine receiving scores and also tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns. Kennedy recorded five 100-yard receiving games, the most in a single season since Jordan Harris had seven.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Thomas Costigan
Costigan enjoyed one of the best seasons for a defensive player in program history. He finished the year with 103 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 17 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles and an interception. Costigan became just the second player in program history to post 100+ tackles in a single season, while his 11.5 sacks tied a single-season program record. He ranks second nationally in sacks per game.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR – Shawn Gholson
Gholson started all but one game at left guard for the Black and Gold this season. He was part of an offensive line that protected for Price Wilson (Marietta, Ga.) as he threw for a program-record 3,311 yards.
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR – Dillon Guthro
A co-captain, Guthro enjoyed another stellar year for the Black and Gold. He finished with 38 tackles, four sacks, 6.5 tackles for a loss, four bass breakups and two blocked kicks. In the 2017 season finale, he had 10 tackles, blocked a kick and also broke up three passes.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jean Constant
Constant enjoyed the best season for a returner in program history. He returned 36 kicks for a program-record 989 yards and two touchdowns. Constant finished the year ranked third nationally in combined return yards, seventh nationally in kick return average (27.5) and fifth nationally with 148.45 all-purpose yards per game. He tied a program record with a 100-yard return score against Wagner and then added an 86-yard kick return score against Robert Morris.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jake Wiswall and Torrey Dixon
Wiswall made the move to the offensive side of the football and thrived. He was second on the team with 73 carries for 295 yards and two touchdowns. Wiswall averaged 4.0 yards per carry and scored touchdowns in each the final two games of his career.
After posting a total of seven tackles over his first three seasons, Dixon made 36 this fall. He started all but one game as a defensive back, forced a fumble and broke up five passes. Dixon posted a pair of six-tackle games.
SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Broghean McGovern and Jared Piatnik
Given to the individuals that have done everything they can throughout the week to help the team, these two players were outstanding role models for their fellow teammates. They were instrumental in preparing the Bulldogs for Saturday's opponent.
CHARACTER AWARD – Jeff Cohen and Joel Diaz
These two seniors exemplified everything that it means to be a Bulldog. They were leaders on and off the field, in the classroom and in the community. They were looked at as leaders and had all the values of a Bryant University student.
Cohen appeared in all 11 games on the offensive line this season for the Black and Gold.
Diaz is a three-time NEC Academic Honor Roll selection and was also a Commissioner's Honor Roll selection as a freshman.
ACADEMIC AWARDS – Scott Tibert and Joel Schaefer
Awarded to those players that excel in the classroom and on the football field, the academic awards were given to the student-athletes that represented all that it means to be exactly that. Tibert and Schaefer are both three-time selections to the NEC Academic Honor Roll.
CAPTAINS AWARDS – Kevin Lazo and Dillon Guthro
Bryant's chosen leaders on and off the field, these two were the backbone of Bryant's football team this year. They were leaders in every sense of the word.