Phil Steele Preseason All-NEC, All-Americans announced

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team has placed 14 student-athletes on the Phil Steele Preseason All-NEC and Preseason All-American teams announced on Friday morning.

Bryant placed seven on the All-NEC First Team, five on the second team and three on the third team. In addition, the Bulldogs had one player listed on the Preseason All-American Second Team.

Senior Thomas Costigan (Stamford, Conn.) led the way, earning a spot on the All-American Second Team and the All-NEC First Team, while also collecting preseason defensive player of the year honors. He posted 103 tackles, 11.5 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss on his way to AP All-American honors in 2017.

Joining Costigan on the All-NEC First Team are seniors Price Wilson (Marietta, Ga.), Tom Kennedy (Farmingdale, N.Y.), Dillon Guthro (Newburyport, Mass.) and Kevin Lazo (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), and juniors Jean Constant (Delray Beach, Fla.) and Gavin Rowley (Hampstead, Md.).

The second team included Constant, senior Pete Mestre (Shelton, Conn.), juniors Tomas Wright (St. Augustine, Fla.) and Eulogio Portugal (Rosedale, N.Y.), and sophomore Andre Brackett (East Windsor, Conn.). Seniors Anthony DiMatteo (Holbrook, N.Y.) and Andrew Jones (Kennett Square, Pa.), and junior Jesse Nemerowicz (Hudson, Mass.) were named to the third team.

Wilson broke the Bryant single-season passing record last fall, throwing for 3,311 yards in his first season in Smithfield. He completed 59.6 percent of his passes and threw for 24 touchdowns on the year.

Kennedy was Wilson's favorite target in 2017, posting 57 catches for 888 yards and nine touchdowns in his return to the football field. He registered 5+ catches in each of the final five games of the year and scored a touchdown in each of the last eight.

Guthro and Lazo teamed up to provide the Bulldogs with a formidable from four last fall, posting 38 and 41 tackles, respectively. Lazo tied for the national lead with a program-record four blocked kicks, while Guthro had four sacks and 6.5 tackles for a loss.

Constant emerged as one of the biggest kick return threats in the country in 2017, posting a program-record 989 kick return yards and two touchdowns. He finished in the top 10 nationally in combined kick return yards and all-purpose yards per game. In addition, Constant caught 48 passes for 594 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He became the first Bulldog since Jordan Brown to earn All-NEC honors at multiple positions. 

Rowley became the first kicker in DI program history to earn All-NEC honors last fall after he led all NEC kickers in field goal percentage. He went 7-for-9 in field goals and 36-for-38 in PATs on the year. 

DiMatteo played in all 11 games on the defensive line last fall, finishing with 19 tackles. His fellow defensive lineman, Wright enjoyed another effective year in 2017, posting 2.5 sacks. Wright has now posted nine sacks in his fist two seasons. 

Nemerowicz missed the first five games of the 2017 season before dominating in the final six. He posted over 10 tackles per game in the final six contests, finishing tied for second on the team with 61. He's made 152 tackles in his first two seasons. 

Portugal and Brackett were two parts of Bryant's defensive secondary last fall and will be again this fall. Portugal led all defensive backs with 61 tackles and six pass breakups. Brackett, on the other hand, came on late to earn NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He posted 24 tackles and tied for the team lead with two interceptions. 

Mestre and Jones both appeared in all 11 games on the offensive line last fall. The two have combined to play in 46 games over the last four seasons. 

The Bryant University football team begins its 20th season on September 1 vs. New Haven. Tickets are available at BryantBulldogs.com/Tickets.

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