Dec. 13, 2007
Center Valley, Pa. - Four Patriot League student-athletes received Football Championship Subdivision All-America recognition from the American Football Coaches Association or Associated Press this week, with Lafayette offensive lineman Jesse Padilla earning the nod from both organizations.
Holy Cross wide receiver Ryan Maher joined Padilla on the AFCA list, which selected just one team. Colgate linebacker Mike Gallihugh and Fordham punter Benjamin Dato were Second-Team selections along with Padilla on the AP All-America squad. All four student-athletes that were honored are seniors and earned First-Team All-Patriot League recognition in 2007.
Padilla is a two-time All-Patriot League selection who anchored a Lafayette offensive line that helped the Leopards notch 364.5 yards and 25.5 points per game in 2007. He started in 25 games during his career, and earned Second-Team All-Patriot League honors in 2006.
Maher notched 75 receptions, 907 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2007, and led Patriot League wide receivers in all three categories. He earned his second consecutive First-Team All-Patriot League honor in 2007, and finished his collegiate career with 148 receptions for 1,842 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Gallihugh was a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS, throughout the 2007 season. He notched First-Team All-Patriot League honors for the second year in a row after recording 123 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions in 2007. Gallihugh earned AP All-America honors for the second year in a row after making the Third-Team in 2006.
Dato finished his career with the best punting average in Patriot League history at 44.63 yards per punt. He had the second-best year in League history with a 44.66 average in 2007, punting 67 times for 2,992 yards and pacing Fordham to the No. 1 mark in net punting nationally. Dato earned First-Team All-Patriot League honors in each of the past two seasons, and also received Third-Team AP All-America honors a year ago.
The Patriot League placed at least two players on the AFCA list for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. Colgate, Fordham and Lafayette represented the Patriot League on the AP All-America team for the second year in a row, with Gallihugh and Dato as repeat selections.
