Football celebrates 2018 with annual awards banquet
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team celebrated the 2018 season with its annual Football Awards Banquet in the Multipurpose Athletic Center on Sunday afternoon.
Bryant finished the year with a 6-5 record overall and a 2-4 mark in Northeast Conference play. It is the second-straight year the Black and Gold have finished with a winning record, while their four non-conference wins are tied for the most in a single-season in DI history.
BLACK & GOLD (BULLDOG AWARD) – Thomas Costigan
Costigan wrapped up a historic career in 2018, finishing as Bryant's all-time leader in tackles with 285. He also finished his career second all-time in sacks (26) and tackles for a loss (46.5). This season, Costigan posted a single-season program record 109 tackles and also added three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Price Wilson
Bryant's starting QB in eight of the 11 games this fall, Wilson threw for 2,374 yards and 20 touchdowns. He completed 208-of-349 passes (59.6), finishing 17th nationally in completions per game. Wilson's 2,374 passing yards are the fifth-most in a single season in program history, his completions the third-most and he became just the second QB in school history with multiple 20+ TD seasons. Wilson also finished his career 10-2 in the last 12 games that he played all the way through.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Thomas Costigan
Costigan posted a single-season program record 109 tackles and also chipped in 5.5 sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. He registered at least seven tackles in every single game and posted double-digit tackles six times. Costigan tied his career-high with 16 tackles vs. Robert Morris and then posted two sacks, including a strip-sack, in Bryant's win over NEC champ Duquesne.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR – Mike Andrejco
Andrejco started all 11 games at left tackle for the Bulldogs, protecting Wilson's blind side. He helped the Black and Gold average over 30 points and 400 total yards of offense for the second-straight year. It is the first time in school history Bryant has posted back-to-back seasons of 400+ yards per game.
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR – Tomas Wright
Wright was a force up front for the Bulldogs, setting a single-season program record with 12.5 sacks. He finished with 45 tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Wright posted at least one TFL in nine of the 11 games and at least one sack in seven of the 11. He collected a career-high three sacks and 4.5 TFLs as Bryant held NEC champ Duquesne to just one yard of total offense in the fourth quarter. Wright was named to the All-NEC First Team.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jean Constant
Constant earns his second-straight Special Teams Player of the Year honor after another electric season as Bryant's kick returner. He returned only 16 kicks – teams kicked away from him most of the season – but averaged a national-best 39.1 yards per return and took three kicks to the house, a single-season program record. Constant's three return scores registered at 100, 97 and 88, giving him five in his career. He was named All-NEC First Team for the second-straight season.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS OF THE YEAR – Vincent Nisivoccia and Alfred Dorbor
Nisivoccia was Bryant's top receiver this fall, making 50 catches for 691 yards and six touchdowns. He also carried the ball 11 times for 147 yards, posted 515 return yards and finished with 1,353 all-purpose yards, the 10th-most in a single-season in program history. Nisivoccia recorded two 100-yard receiving games and had 100+ all-purpose yards in all but three games.
Fully healthy, Dorbor produced an outstanding season with the ball in his hands. He rushed for 390 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns on 86 carries this fall. Dorbor averaged 4.5 yards per carry and produced his first-career 100-yard game (116) at Fordham. He has now produced a rushing touchdown in seven of Bryant's last 13 games.
SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Greg Johnston and Harrison Easton
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.
Johnston appeared in six games for the Bulldogs, recording 16 tackles and a half sack. Easton did not make a varsity appearance.
CHARACTER AWARD – Tom Kennedy and Anthony DiMatteo
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.
Kennedy returned from an injury to catch 33 passes for 410 yards. He averaged a team-high 4.7 receptions per game, including a single-game program record 13 against Fordham. Those 13 catches went for 221 yards, making him only the second player in school history to have a 200-yard receiving game.
DiMatteo started all 11 games in the middle of Bryant's defensive line this fall, posting a career-high 22 tackles. He collected a career-high six tackles in the Bulldogs' win over Fordham.
ACADEMIC AWARDS – Matt Steeves, Kyle Presti, Peter Corbett
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. Steeves has a 3.86 GPA, Presti has a 3.75 GPA and Corbett owns a 3.49 GPA.
CAPTAINS AWARDS – Dillon Guthro, Kevin Lazo, Thomas Costigan, Jean Constant
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.