Frederick named Big South Special Teams Player of the Year; 9 named All-Big South
CHARLOTTE – Bryant University football senior Anthony Frederick was named the Big South Special Teams Player of the Year on Tuesday, headlining nine Bulldogs to earn postseason recognition from the Big South.
Frederick becomes the first major award winner for the Bulldogs in the Big South and the first special teams player of the year in school history. In addition to his major award, Frederick was one of five players named to the first team. He was joined by wide receiver Landon Ruggieri, defensive lineman Kenny Dyson Jr., linebacker Joe Andreessen and kick Ethan Gettman. Bryant also had four second team selections; Zevi Eckhaus, Jihad Edmond, Jamichael Watts and Ryan Saddler. In addition, Saddler was named to the Big South All-Academic Team.
A Hollywood, Florida, native, Frederick finished the regular season ranked first in the country with 901 return yards and third nationally with 30.0 yards per return. He posted a return of 30+ yards in nine of the 11 games, including a 100-yard return touchdown against Brown. Frederick finished the game vs Brown with a program record 197 return yards. His 901 return yards are the second-most in school history. Frederick finished the year 14th nationally with 141.4 all-purpose yards per game.
Frederick was also a menace on the defensive side of special teams, finishing with 12.0 special teams tackles. He had four special teams tackles against URI and also posted multiple tackles against Campbell and Holy Cross.
Gettman joined Frederick on the Big South Special Teams first team, earning the honors after leading the nation in field goal percentage. Gettman made a school-record 14 field goals, finishing 14-of-15. He made multiple field goals on four occasions, including a single-game record three field goals vs Charleston Southern and Campbell. Gettman hit a program record 56-yard field goal in the game vs Charleston Southern. He finished the year with 82 points, a single-season record for a kicker and the most points by a Bulldog since Ricardo McCray in 2014.
Ruggieri put together one of the most impressive seasons in program history, finishing with 65 catches for 986 yards and six touchdowns. He led the Big South and set the Bryant single-season record for receptions, while posting five 100-yard receiving games. Ruggieri caught 6+ passes in seven of the 11 games, posting a season-high 10 grabs for 169 yards at Gardner-Webb. He ended his season with eight catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns at Robert Morris.
Dyson Jr. earns first team honors after setting a career-high with 8.5 sacks this fall. He ranks 14th nationally in the category and second in the Big South. Dyson finished with 29.0 total tackles and 11.5 tackles for a loss. He posted a sack in seven of the 11 games this fall, including 2.0 each against Long Island and Charleston Southern.
Andreessen picks up first team all-conference honors for the third-straight year and for the first time in the Big South. Named to the preseason All-Big South team, Andreessen didn't disappoint, finishing with a school-record and Big South-leading 116.0 tackles (10.5/g). He also led the Big South with 18.5 TFLs and added 4.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Andreessen posted 10+ tackles in nine of the 11 games this season and finished sixth nationally in tackles per game. He was the only player in the country to open the season with five-straight games of double-digit tackles and added a scoop-and-score at Long Island. Andreessen ends the season tied for third all-time with 255.0 tackles and has 7.0 sacks, 37.5 TFLs and five interceptions in his 39-game career.
Eckhaus picks up second team honors after putting together one of the most impressive offensive seasons in program history. The sophomore from Culver City, Calif., led the Big South in completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns and total offense. Eckhaus completed 253-of-416 passes for 3,228 yards (293.5/g) and 26 touchdowns. He finished the year with a Bryant single-season record 3,393 yards of total offense. Eckhaus had seven games with 3+ touchdown passes and threw for 300+ yards a Big South-best six times. He has now thrown for 5,620 yards and 47 touchdowns in his first two seasons in the Black and Gold.
Edmond had a breakout year for the Bulldogs in 2022, earning all-conference honors for the first time in his career. He caught 25 passes for a career-high 274 yards and five touchdowns, leading all Big South tight ends in that category. Edmond caught multiple passes in six games and finished the year on a tear, catching 18 passes for 187 yards and three TDs over the final five games of the season. His five TD receptions are the most by a Bryant tight end since John Lavin caught five in the 2014 season.
Watts picks up all-conference honors for the first time in his career after playing an integral role on Bryant's offensive line. He started all 11 games at right guard, helping the Black and Gold lead the Big South in scoring and finish third in total offense. Bryant's 33.3 ppg are the most in DI program history, while the 429 yards of total offense per game is a new program record.
Saddler put together a career year to earn all-conference honors for the second-straight season. The Boca Raton, Fla., native finished third in the Big South with a career-high 97.0 tackles this fall. He added 4.5 sacks, 11.5 TFLs and three interceptions. Saddler posted 9.0+ tackles in nine of the 11 games this season, closing his year with 9.0 solo tackles, a sack and two interceptions at Robert Morris. He wraps up his career with 205.0 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 19.5 TFLs.