BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Fordham senior quarterback Tim DeMorat was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year for the second time, and Holy Cross junior linebacker Jacob Dobbs claimed defensive player of the year when the League office announced 2021 major awards and All-League honors on Tuesday.
Colgate freshman quarterback Michael Brescia captured Patriot League Rookie of the Year accolades. Holy Cross Head Coach Bob Chesney was named the Dick Biddle Coach of the Year after leading the Crusaders to their third-consecutive League crown.
Chesney’s Crusaders placed a League-high 19 student-athletes on the two All-Patriot League teams, including 12 first-team selections. Lafayette had 12 All-League honorees, with four on the first team. DeMorat highlighted Fordham’s nine All-League members, including six on the first-team offense. Georgetown had eight All-League picks, with four on the first team, while second-place Colgate had seven student-athletes selected to the All-League team, including three on the first team. Lehigh received four spots on the All-League teams, with one on the first team.
Patriot League football major awards and All-League teams were voted on by the seven League football head coaches. They could not vote for their student-athletes or themselves.
2021 Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Year
Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr., QB, Merritt Island, Fla./Viera
2021 Stats: 234-for-400 passing for 3,214 yards, 31 TDs, 9 INTs, 147.1 pass efficiency
*DeMorat is a three-time First-Team All-Patriot League selection and two-time offensive player of the year.
*The Merritt Island, Fla. native earned Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week five times while leading the League and finishing seventh in the FCS in passing touchdowns (31), ninth in passing yards per game (292.2) and 20th in pass efficiency (147.1).
*DeMorat, a Walter Payton Award finalist, posted six games with more than 300 yards passing and nine games with multiple touchdown passes while the Rams averaged 33.6 points and 450.8 yards of total offense per game.
2021 Patriot League Football Defensive Player of the Year
Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, Jr., LB, Macomb, Mich./De La Salle Collegiate
2021 Stats: 112 tackles (10.18 tackles/gm), 15.0 TFLs, 8.0 sacks, 3 pass breakups
*Dobbs finished third in the Patriot League and 10th in the FCS in tackles per game (10.2) while leading the League in TFLs (15.0) and sacks (8.0).
*The Buck Buchanan Award finalist led a Holy Cross defense that finished first in the League and second in the FCS in total defense (253.7), and 19th in the nation in scoring defense (19.0).
*Dobbs received Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week after finishing with 13 tackles, 4.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks in the Crusaders’ win at Yale. He set a career-high with 21 tackles the following week in a win at Monmouth.
2021 Patriot League Football Rookie of the Year
Michael Brescia, Colgate, Fr., QB, Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central
2021 Stats: 50-for-88 passing for 614 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 114 carries, 567 rushing yards, 9 TDs
*Brescia finished second in the Patriot League in rushing touchdowns (9), third in total touchdowns (11) and third in rushing yards (568).
*The three-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week passed for more than 100 yards and rushed for more than 100 yards in the Raiders’ final two wins of the season to help clinch a 5-1 League record and second-place a second-place finish.
*In five League games, Brescia accounted for nine touchdowns and averaged 80.3 rushing yards per game.
2021 Patriot League Football Dick Biddle Coach of the Year
Bob Chesney, Holy Cross
*Chesney led the Crusaders to their third-consecutive Patriot League title and an automatic berth to the FCS Playoffs, becoming the first League team since 2006 to three-peat.
*Holy Cross’s offense led the League and finished 11th in the FCS in scoring offense (35.5) and eighth in the FCS in red zone offense (.909). Their defense ranked second in the nation in total defense, allowing 253.7 yards per game, while finishing 19th in scoring defense (19.0).
*Chesney has guided Holy Cross to an 18-3 record in League play since 2018, including a program-record six League wins during the 2021 season.
2021 All-Patriot League Football by the Numbers
Hamm, Wilson and Zakelj Join 24-Member Four-Time All-League Club
Thirty-one of the 59 All-Patriot League football selections are multi-year honorees. Fordham senior offensive lineman Nick Zakelj, Georgetown graduate student defensive back Ahmad Wilson and Lafayette senior defensive lineman Malik Hamm joined the list of 24 Patriot League football student-athletes to earn All-League honors four times.
DeMorat, Dobbs and Whitley Earns All-League Honors for the Third Time
DeMorat, Dobbs and Holy Cross senior defensive lineman Benton Whitley highlight a group of 10 three-time All-League honorees that join 104 football student-athletes in Patriot League history to accomplish the feat. DeMorat and Whitley are three-time first-team honorees. Dobbs, Colgate senior defensive back/return specialist Will Gruber and Fordham senior offensive lineman Phil Saleh are two-time first-team selections. Lafayette’s fifth-year running back Selwyn Simpson is a two-time second-team pick. Holy Cross junior wide receiver Ayir Asante, Lafayette fifth-year offensive lineman Gavin Barclay, fifth-year linebacker Major Jordan and Lehigh fifth-year linebacker Pete Haffner are three-time second-team selections.
Seventeen Make Receive All-League Accolades for the Second Time
Fordham wide receivers Dequece Carter and Fotis Kokosioulis were both First-Team All-Patriot League selections for the first time. They are joined as two-time first-teamers by Holy Cross senior defensive back John Smith, senior placekicker Derek Ng, and Lafayette senior tight end Steven Stilianos. Holy Cross senior defensive lineman Dan Kuznetsov, senior running back Peter Oliver, senior offensive lineman Nick Olsofka, senior defensive back Terrell Prince and Lafayette junior linebacker Marco Olivas made the first team after previously being selected to the second team. Fordham junior wide receiver MJ Wright, Georgetown fifth-year defensive lineman Owen Kessler, Holy Cross junior punter Patrick Haughney, Lafayette junior running back Jaden Sutton and Lehigh sophomore defensive back LaTreil Wimberly all made the second team for the second time.
Gruber Joins Colgate’s Daramy-Swaray and Fordham’s Wetzel on Exclusive List
Colgate senior Will Gruber earned First-Team All-Patriot League honors as a defensive back and a return specialist. It is the second time Gruber has been honored at multiple positions after being selected to the second team as a defensive back and first-team as a return specialist during the 2021 spring season. He joins former Raiders’ teammate Abu Daramy-Swaray (DB/RS) and Fordham’s Brian Wetzel (WR/RS) as the only student-athletes in Patriot League football history to be recognized at multiple positions in a single season more than once. Daramy-Swaray earned first-team honors on defense and special teams in 2018 and 2019. Wetzel accomplished the feat in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
2021 Patriot League Football Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr., QB
Defensive Player of the Year: Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, Jr., LB
Rookie of the Year: Michael Brescia, Colgate, Fr., QB
Dick Biddle Coach of the Year: Bob Chesney, Holy Cross
2021 All-Patriot League Football First Team
First-Team Offense (15)
QB: Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr.
RB: Peter Oliver, Holy Cross, Sr.
RB: Trey Wilson III, Fordham, Jr.
FB/H-Back: Mason Gilbert, Lafayette, So.
WR: Dequece Carter, Fordham, Jr.
WR: Fotis Kokosioulis, Fordham, Sr.
WR: Joshua Tomas, Georgetown, Sr.
TE: Steven Stilianos, Lafayette, Sr.
OL: Phil Saleh, Fordham, Sr.
OL: Nick Zakelj, Fordham, Sr.
OL: John Brekke, Holy Cross, Sr.
OL: Luke Newman, Holy Cross, So.
OL: Nick Olsofka, Holy Cross, Sr.
PK: Derek Ng, Holy Cross, Sr.
RS: Will Gruber, Colgate, Sr.
First-Team Defense (14)
DL: Dan Kuznetsov, Holy Cross, Sr.
DL: Jason Modak, Holy Cross, Sr.
DL: Benton Whitley, Holy Cross, Sr.
DL: Malik Hamm, Lafayette, Sr.
LB: Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, Jr.
LB: Liam Anderson, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB: Marco Olivas, Lafayette, Jr.
LB: Milton Braasch II, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Will Gruber, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Ahmad Wilson, Georgetown, Gr.
DB: John Smith, Holy Cross, Sr.
DB: TyGee Leach, Lehigh, Jr.
P: Conor Hunt, Georgetown, So.
Special Teams Non-Specialist (STNS): Terrell Prince, Holy Cross, Sr.
Second-Team Offense (16)*
QB: Matthew Sluka, Holy Cross, So.
RB: Selwyn Simpson, Lafayette, 5th
RB: Jaden Sutton, Lafayette, Jr.
FB/H-Back: Zach Jewell, Georgetown, 5th
WR: MJ Wright, Fordham, Jr.
WR: Ayir Asante, Holy Cross, Jr.
WR: Jalen Coker, Holy Cross, So
WR: Julius Young, Lafayette, Jr.
TE: Sean Morris, Holy Cross, Jr.
OL: Sam Diehl, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Jayvion Queen, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Talati Polamalu, Georgetown, Jr.
OL: Pat McMurtrie, Holy Cross, Jr.
OL: Gavin Barclay, Lafayette, 5th
PK: Micah Pettit, Lafayette, Fr.
RS: Justin Shorter, Holy Cross, Fr.
Second-Team Defense (14)
DL: K2 Dickens, Colgate, So.
DL: Ibrahim Kamara, Georgetown, Sr.
DL: Ian Grayson, Lafayette, Sr.
DL: Mikhari Sibblis, Lehigh, Jr.
LB: James Conway, Fordham, Fr.
LB: Owen Kessler, Georgetown, 5th
LB: Major Jordan, Lafayette, 5th
LB: Pete Haffner, Lehigh, 5th.
DB: Jesse Bramble, Fordham, 5th
DB: Devin Haskins, Holy Cross, Jr.
DB: DaRon Gilbert, Lafayette, Jr.
DB: LaTreil Wimberly, Lehigh, So.
P: Patrick Haughney, Holy Cross, Jr.
(STNS): J.C. Gaughan, Colgate, Sr.
*Additional player selected due to ties in the voting
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.