Boston College Athletics
Gridiron Club Of Greater Boston
January 06, 2003 | Football
Event Information in PDF Format
BOSTON, MA - Boston College senior running back Derrick Knight (offense) and Harvard senior linebacker Dante Balestracci (defense), recipients of the 65th annual George "Bulger" Lowe Award, head an all-star roster of players, coaches and officials to be honored by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston at its annual Bob Whelan College Football Awards Banquet on January 9, 2004 at the Sheraton Needham Hotel. The full slate:
65th Annual George "Bulger" Lowe Award:
59th Annual Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award:
Eighth Annual Joseph P. Zabilski Award:
John Baronian Award:
Head Coaches of the Year:
Assistant Coach of the Year:
Joseph V. McKenney Award:
"This has been a wonderful football season for New England," said Gridiron Club president Thomas Burke. "These gentlemen we'll be recognizing on January 9 represent the very best that the game of college football has to offer. The Gridiron Club is very proud to be honoring such a worthy group of individuals."
Notes on this Year's Winners:
Dante Balestracci: The only player in the history of the Ivy League to earn all-league, first team honors for four consecutive years...Harvard's leader in tackles (96), sacks (11), and tackles for losses (21) in 2003. He was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection and a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in Division I-AA.
Steve Fox: First team All-Patriot League and considered the top offensive lineman in the circuit. Majoring in biology at Holy Cross, Steve has been a starter for 34 straight games and is a primary reason for the Crusaders' potent offense that scored 312 points and averaged over 365 yards per game.
Greg Wood: Worcester State's all-time leading rusher with 3002 yards in three seasons and 55 touchdowns...a Dean's List student and member of the Academic All-District team chosen by COSIDA...also the Lancers' all-time leading scorer...rushed for 914 yards and had 17 touchdowns this season despite missing two games due to injury...a member of the school's Student Athlete Advisory Council and volunteer teacher of reading to public school students.
Tom Pierandri: Led Trinity to a record of 8-0 and finished his career as the school's second all-time leading rusher with 2,764 yards...carried for 1,079 yards this season and set Division III single game rushing mark with 304 yards on November 15...All-NESCAC and All-New England in 2003.
Mark Tilki: Led the Tufts secondary with five interceptions including two returned for touchdowns in 2003... team had best pass defense in NESCAC, yielding just 127 yards per game...finished his college career with a total of 99 tackles and 12 interceptions.
Dan Allen: Just completed an eight-year stint as head coach at Holy Cross, where his overall record of 61-97 included a rebuilding of the Crusaders' program to its third-best win total ever, a 7-4 mark, in 2000. Dan had also served eight years at The Cross as top offensive assistant to coaches Mark Duffner and Rick Carter. As Boston University's head coach from 1990 to 1995, he rebuilt the Terriers' program and led them to their only unbeaten season ever, an 11-0 mark in 1993 after going 3-8 the previous year. Dan graduated from Hanover (Indiana) College and was an All-America honorable mention selection at linebacker.
Mark Whipple: Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, led the Minutemen to a 10-2 regular season record, fifth place in the national rankings, and a berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. UMass' ten regular season wins set a school record. Mark just finished his sixth season as UMass head coach and sixteenth overall - he coached four years at Brown and six at New Haven. His 49 wins place him second to Vic Fusia on UMass' all-time victory list.
Mike DeLong: Coached Springfield to a 10-0 record this past year, the first such season in 111 years of years of football at the school. The Pride were top ranked in NCAA Division III for 2003. Mike is Springfield's career victory leader with 112 wins. Under him the Pride have won five Freedom Conference titles. They have also led the country in rushing five times, including the past two seasons.
Mike Kelleher: Just finished his third year as defensive coordinator at Brown. The youthful, rebuilding Bears won four of their last five games and were second in the Ivy League. In 2002, Brown's defense was second in the league; in 2001 they led the circuit in pass defense. Mike was a four-year starter on defense for Boston University from 1977-80; he began his coaching career at BU, serving nine years before moving on to Rhode Island and Colgate before coming to Brown.
Brian Sullivan: The Belmont resident works games in the Atlantic 10 Conference and was selected by his peers on the Gridiron Club Coaches' Committee as the best official of the 2003 season. He is also a top-notch college hockey referee and a member of the Massachusetts State Police.
About the Gridiron Club: Founded in 1932, the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston promotes the game of football at all levels and nurtures the ideals of citizenship, sportsmanship, leadership, and athletic and academic achievement. Through its annual dinners and golf tournament, the club carries on its tradition of honoring exemplary players, coaches and officials at all levels of the sport, and supporting worthy charitable causes, especially those that assist children.
The Gridiron Club is steward of some of the most storied awards in American sport. The George H. "Bulger" Lowe Award, established in 1939 and awarded to New England's best college football player, is the country's second oldest accolade of its kind after the Heisman Trophy. The Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award, inaugurated by the club in 1946, recognizes college football players who also distinguish themselves in the classroom. In 1977, the club assumed stewardship of the Walter Brown Award, the nation's oldest college hockey honor, which is given to the best American-born college player in New England.
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Best Offensive and Defensive Players in Divisions I-A/IAA
Derrick Knight, Boston College, Senior Running Back, Rockland, MA
Dante Balestracci, Harvard, Senior Linebacker, New Bedford, MA
Academic and Athletic Achievement
Steve Fox, Holy Cross, Senior Offensive Lineman, Fairfax, VA
Greg Wood, Worcester State, Senior Running Back, Bellingham, MA
Best Offensive and Defensive Players in Divisions II/III
Tom Pierandri, Trinity College, Senior Running Back, Ridgefield, CT
Mark Tilki, Tufts, Senior Defensive Back, Derby, CT
Lifetime Contribution to Football
Dan Allen, Former Head Coach, Holy Cross and Boston University
Mark Whipple, Massachusetts, Div I-A/I-AA
Mike DeLong, Springfield College, Div II/III
Mike Kelleher, Brown University, Defensive Coordinator
College Football Official of the Year
Brian Sullivan, Atlantic 10, Belmont, MA
Derrick Knight: Last year's Bulger Lowe winner and one of only four players in the 65-year history of the award to repeat - the others were Doug Flutie and Mike Ruth (BC) and Gordie Lockbaum (Holy Cross)...Boston College's all-time leading ground gainer with 3,603 yards and third in the nation this past season...one of eight semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award as College football's best running back...had 17 games of 100+ rushing yardage in career.
