Boyle the Big Winner as Delaware Seniors Honored at Blue Hen Touchdown Club Banquet

2/6/2015 5:53:00 PM | Football

By: Delaware Athletics

out his second season at the helm of the Blue Hens, was on hand to present the awards and to personally recognize each senior for his contributions to the program.

Family members of the seniors, as well as the senior student athletic trainers, managers, and operations assistants were also recognized at the banquet as were members of the UD athletics support staff.

Boyle (High Point Regional/Wantage, N.J.), who was not present due to his training schedule in Florida, received four honors as he earned Outstanding Senior Offensive Player of the Year Award, the Winnie Mayer Outstanding End Award, the Captain's Award, and the Baker-Taylor Memorial Award for overall contributions to the team. Boyle's parents, Harry and Susan, were on hand to accept on his behalf.

Safety Jake Giusti (Fletcher/Neptune Beach, Fla.) shared the Captain's Award with Boyle, wide receiver Michael Johnson (Gainesville/Gainesville, Fla.), and linebacker Patrick Callaway (Martin Luther King/Lithonia, Ga.) and the Co-Outstanding Senior Defensive Player Award with linebacker David Mackall (Edmonson-Westside/Baltimore, Md.); wide receiver Andrew Opoku (North Brunswick/North Brunswick, N.J.) won the Outstanding Senior Special Teams Player Award; defensive end Derrick Saulsberry (Camden County/St. Mary's, Ga.) earned the Outstanding Senior Lineman Award; quarterback Justin Burns (Alpharetta/Alpharetta, Ga./at left with Coach Brock) received the Unsung Hero Award; Johnson shared the Outstanding Senior Offensive Player Award with Boyle; and defensive end Laith Wallschleger (St. Stephens & St. Agnes/Alexandria, Va.) and offensive guard Christian Marchena (Raritan/Hazlet, N.J.) shared the Newark Elks Club Academic Award as the top students among the seniors on the squad.

Boyle, an economics major, was named to two All-American teams during the season, earned All-CAA honors for the second straight year, and ranked No. 2 on the team in receiving with 37 catches for 304 yards (8.2 avg.) and four touchdowns. His 101 career receptions is a UD record for a tight end with his 984 yards and 12 touchdowns ranking second. He played in the Senior Bowl back in January and will take part in the NFL Scouting Combine on Feb. 17-23 in Indianapolis, Ind.

Giusti, a leadership major, earned five letters and played in his 51st career game this past fall, becoming only the 11th player in UD history to reach that mark. He started all 12 games in 2014 and ranked fourth on the team with 61 tackles while recording six pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Mackall, a criminal justice major, was a two-year starter at linebacker who recorded a team-high 84 stops in 2014 when he also had 3.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and an interception. He posted 159 tackles over two seasons.

Opoku, a double major in sociology and criminal justice, was Delaware's top special teams players over the past two seasons. He recorded 10 tackles and two fumble recoveries this past season and also caught his first career touchdown pass against Elon. He recorded 19 career tackles.

Saulsberry, a history major, was one of the Hens' top forces on the defensive front the past three years. Overcoming injuries throughout his career, Saulsberry started 11 games in 2014 when he ranked sixth on the team with 48 tackles while leading the squad 13.5 tackles for loss and ranking second with seven sacks. He registered 104 career tackles, including 15 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss.

Burns, who earned his degree in criminal justice last May and is working on a master's degree in disaster management degree, was a five-year member of the team who consistently inspired his teammates despite playing in a backup role. A four-year backup at quarterback, he was always ready when called upon and was a perfect 9 for 9 passing for 46 yards in his career and recovered an onside kick vs. Albany to clinch a late-season victory in 2014. An honor student, his postgraduate plans are to join the Navy SEALS.

Callaway, a sport management major currently working on a MBA at Delaware, was a two-time All-CAA selection and a nominee for the CAA Chuck Boone Leadership Award this fall. He started all 12 games in 2014 and ranked second on the squad with 78 tackles to go with 2.5 sacks and three pass breakups. He was a three-year starter who chalked up 303 career tackles (No. 17 all-time at UD), 17 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, and five fumble recoveries. He was an honor student who also earned the team's Sportsmanship Award twice.

Johnson, a health behavior science major, was a first team All-CAA selection this past fall when he led the team in receiving and ranked among the national leaders with 78 receptions for 803 yards (10.6 avg.) and a touchdown. He also averaged 6.5 yards per punt return and 22.5 yards per kickoff return and led the CAA in all-purpose yards with 141.8 per game. He also earned All-CAA honors as a junior and finished his career ranked among the all-time UD Top 10 pass receivers in receptions (182/No. 5), yards (2,325/No. 5), and touchdowns (14/No. 13).

Wallschleger earned his undergraduate degree in finance in May and is currently working on his MBA at Delaware. He earned a cumulative 3.254 GPA for his undergraduate degree and owns a 3.667 GPA in graduate school. Despite an injury-plagued career, the CAA All-Academic selection appeared in the final six games in 2014 and registered 14 tackles. For his career, he collected 101 tackles in 32 games and set a school record by blocking eight kicks.

Marchena is an electrical engineering major who carries a cumulative 3.301 GPA and had a perfect 4.0 this past fall. A three-time member of the CAA All-Academic Team, he appeared in four career games in a backup role.

Other seniors who were honored on Friday night were: quarterback Trent Hurley (Greensburg Central Catholic/Connellsville, Pa.); defensive back C.J. Jones (A.I. duPont/Wilmington, Del.); wide receiver Stephen Clark (Bethel/Hampton, Va.), defensive back Mario Rowson (Lake Taylor/Norfolk, Va.); tight end Ryan Cobb (Don Bosco Prep/Saddle River, N.J.); defensive back Kivar Thurman (Nyack/South Nyack, N.Y.); linebacker Derek Battle (Providence/Charlotte, N.C.); defensive end Chris Corvino (Don Bosco Prep/SUNY-Cortland/Lackawanna CC); All-CAA offensive lineman JD Dzurko (North Penn/North Wales, Pa.); tight end Matt Rodriguez (Park Vista/Lake Worth, Fla.); and linebacker Kyle Gayle (Montclair/Montclair, N.J.). Gayle was not a member of the 2014 squad but was not honored at last year's banquet.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129