University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hen Touchdown Club Honors Seniors
2/6/2023 3:24:00 PM | Football
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team's departing seniors were honored on Friday night for their career achievements at the annual Blue Hen Touchdown Club Senior Awards banquet at Delaware's Clayton Hall. The 34 senior student-athletes, as well as the senior interns for football operations, equipment, sports analytics and nutrition were all recognized and the TD Club presented its annual awards.
The Blue Hens' five team captains in 2022 – Johnny Buchanan, Nolan Henderson, Thyrick Pitts, Liam Trainer and Kedrick Whitehead Jr. – were all presented with the Captains Award.
Henderson was honored as the Outstanding Offensive Player after concluding his career as one of the best quarterbacks in Delaware history. He set the program record with 32 passing touchdowns in 2022 and also became the second in program history to surpass 50 career touchdowns, finishing with 56. Henderson finished his career in the Blue & Gold ranked third in completions (547), fourth in pass attempts (859) and fifth in passing yards (6,413).
Buchanan and Whitehead were named Co-Outstanding Defensive Players after wrapping up fantastic careers. Buchanan was a seven-time All-American in 2022 after leading the country with 150 total tackles. He tied a program record in the season opener as he registered 23 tackles in UD's 14-7 win at Navy while becoming the 20th player in program history to surpass 300 career tackles. Whitehead concluded a brilliant career in the Blue & Gold with his fourth-straight All-CAA nod and finished with nine total All-America nods. He ranks sixth among Delaware defensive backs with 295 career tackles.
Ben Dinkel and Jake Reed shared Outstanding Special Teams Player honors after leading a punting unit that averaged 39.1 yards per punt on the year. Dinkel had eight punts of more than 50 yards and pinned UD's opponents inside their own 20-yard line on 16 occasions.
Artis Hemmingway and Pitts took home positional awards as Outstanding Lineman and Outstanding End, respectively. Hemmingway ranked fifth on the defense with 55 total tackles and was second with 8.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks. He was an All-CAA selection for the second-straight season. Pitts was second on the team with 57 receptions 631 yards while tying for the league lead with 10 touchdown receptions. He finished his career among the top 10 in UD history in career receptions (172), receiving yards (2,429) and touchdowns (23).
Justis Henley and Anthony Paoletti claimed the final on-field honor as co-winners of the Unsung Hero Award. Henley finished the 2022 season with 42 tackles and a team-high eight pass breakups, often covering the opponents' top receivers. He also blocked two field goal attempts at William & Mary and earned All-CAA honors for the first time in his career. Paoletti became a force as a wildcat quarterback, rushing 99 times for 354 yards and seven touchdowns in his career. Six of his 13 rushes in 2022 either resulted in a touchdown or a first down.
The final two awards went to a pair of sixth-year players. Pitts was honored with the Newark Elks Club Award, honoring the top scholar-athlete in the senior class. Henderson was presented with the Taylor Memorial Award, given each year since 1948 to a senior who made outstanding contributions to the program.
Honored Seniors
Trey Austin, DB
Stevon Brown, OL
Johnny Buchanan, LB
Riah Burton, DB
Mike Campbell, QB
Nick Coomer, DL
Bryce De Maille, TE
Brandon Dennis, DB
Jack Dinicola, LB
Ben Dinkel, P
Luke Frederick, TE
Zach Gwynn, QB
Dean Hall, RB
Artis Hemmingway, DL
Nolan Henderson, QB
Justis Henley, DB
Michael Jackson Jr., WR
Josh Moran, WR
Jordan Morris, DL
Robert Nachtman, OL
Drew Nickles, LB
Anthony Paoletti, QB
Thyrick Pitts, WR
James Prince, OL
Jake Reed, LS
Jon Ricci, TE
Eddie Scannapieco, WR
Khory Spruill, RB
Joshua Stevens, OL
Anthony Toro, DL
Liam Trainer, LB
Tommy Walsh, DL
Kedrick Whitehead Jr., DB
Joe Zubillaga, DB
For the latest on the Delaware football program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @Delaware_FB and Instagram @delaware_fb, and like "Delaware Football" on Facebook. Follow Ryan Carty on Twitter @RyanCarty10.
