A school record 11 Hofstra football players, including four first team selections, have been named to the 2005 All-Atlantic 10 Football Conference Teams, League Commissioner Linda Bruno announced Tuesday. The Pride, who ended their season with a 7-4 mark following its 21-10 victory over then-7th-ranked Massachusetts on Saturday, topped the previous Hofstra best of 10 set during its 2001 conference championship season.
Among the 11 Hofstra honorees are six first time all-conference selections. Leading the group are second time All-10 selections, senior offensive tackle Willie Colon (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Hayes) and senior linebacker Cole Haley (Lititz, PA/Warwick). Colon, a second team All-Atlantic 10 pick in 2004, anchored the right side of the Pride line for an offense that averaged 429.8 yards per game. Haley, a third team selection in 2004, led the Pride and ranked fourth in the league with a career-best 117 tackles, 5 sacks and 8 tackles for losses. "Mr. Consistent" during his four year Hofstra tenure, Haley posted 414 career tackles and 14.5 sacks.
Two first-time selections, senior receiver Marques Colston (Harrisburg, PA/SusquehannaTownship) and sophomore kicker Rob Zarrilli (Orlando, FL/Colonial), also made the A-10 first team for the Pride in 2005. Colston, who broke the Hofstra career receiving yards record this season that was formerly held by current Denver Bronco Charlie Adams, was second in the A-10 in receiving yards with 975 on a career-best 70 receptions with five touchdowns. He finished his career with a school record 2,834 career receiving yards and is second on the Hofstra career receptions chart with 182. Rob Zarrilli, who came to Hofstra from the University of Louisville, quickly filled the Pride's void left by the graduation of record-setter Chris Onorato. Zarrilli led the conference in field goals made with 17, field goal percentage with an 89.5% mark (17-19), and points by a kicker with 84. The sophomore Floridian also connected on 33 of 36 extra points to earn his first All-Atlantic 10 honor.
Hofstra's three All-Atlantic 10 second team selections includes two second time honorees and a newcomer to the team. Senior receiver Devale Ellis (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison), who was an A-10 second team selection in 2004, returns to that team in 2005 after leading the Pride with 74 receptions for 943 yards and five touchdowns. Ellis ranked second in the league in receptions, third in receiving yards and ninth in all-purpose yards (103.8 ypg). He finished his career in third place on the Hofstra career reception list with 176 catches. On October 29 at Rhode Island, Ellis became the seventh player in Hofstra history to record 2,000 career receiving yards and finished with 2,207 career yards, which ranks seventh.
Senior defensive end Daniel Garay (Rahway, NJ/Rahway), a third-team all-conference selection in 2004, was named to the second team in 2005. Garay, who led the team with 6 sacks and 13 tackles for losses while equaling his career-best with 72 tackles (29-43) this season, led all A-10 defensive linemen in tackles. He ranked second in tackles for losses and fifth in sacks and fumbles recovered. He led the team in sacks for three consecutive seasons. Dan, the son of Hofstra alum and former Los Angeles Ram Tony Garay, and brother of Chicago Bear lineman Antonio Garay, posted 284 tackles, 26.5 sacks and 51.5 tackles for losses during his Pride career.
Senior defensive end Stephen Bowen (Wheatley Heights, NY/Half Hollow Hills West) concludes his college career with an All-Atlantic 10 second team selection, his first post-season conference accolade. Bowen posted 48 tackles and was second on the team with 5.5 sacks and 11 tackles for losses. He also recorded his first career interception this season and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown at Furman. Bowen ranked eighth in the league in both sacks and tackles for losses. For his career, he posted 168 tackles and 11.5 sacks.
Four first-time Pride selections were named to the All-Atlantic 10 third team. Senior defensive tackle Edward Greene (Broadalbin, NY/Broadalbin-Perth), who has played in all 46 games during his Hofstra career, received his first A-10 honor after recording 49 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for losses in 2005. He also ranked ninth in the league in sacks. Greene had 167 tackles and 8.5 sacks during his Hofstra career. Junior quarterback Anton Clarkson (Los Angeles, CA/Venice) was also named to the third team after completing 66% of his passed for 3,020 yards and 18 touchdowns. He led the Atlantic 10 in passing yards per game (302.0 ypg), was second in total offense (296.7) and third in passing efficiency (147.1) in 2005. Clarkson, who completed 238 of 361 pass attempts, became just the third player in school history to top 3,000 passing yards in a single season following Giovanni Carmazzi in 1997 (3,554) and Rocky Butler in 2001 (3,311). He ranks third on Hofstra's career passing yards list with 5,907 entering his senior year in 2006.
Junior running back Terry Crenshaw (Sarasota, FL/Riverview) received All-A-10 third team honors after a rushing for 817 yards on 149 carries and six touchdowns in 2005. He ranked ninth in the league in rushing and posted four 100+-yard rushing games in 2005. Crenshaw, who became just the eighth player in Hofstra history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a career, is now seventh on the all-time list with 2,139 yards. Junior offensive tackle Jed Prisby (Warwick, PA/Warwick), who has played in all 34 games during his three-year Hofstra career, also gets his first All-A-10 honor with a third team selection. He started all 11 games at left tackle in 2005 and helped the Pride offense post the best rushing and total offense numbers since Hofstra's Atlantic 10 championship team in 2001.
In the same post-season vote conducted among the league's head coaches, New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos has been named the Atlantic 10 Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year and safety Tony LeZotte of James Madison has been named Defensive Player of the Year.
Massachusetts punter Christian Koegel was selected as the Atlantic 10's Special Teams Player of the Year, Richmond defensive lineman Sherman Logan was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, and fullback Joe Casey of Rhode Island earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Dave Clawson of Richmond was chosen as Coach of the Year.
-30-
