MORAVIAN’S RECKENBEIL NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR 2008 DRADDY TROPHY

DALLAS, TX --- Senior kicker Brian Reckenbeil (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville HS) of the Moravian College football team been named as one of 164 semifinalists for the 2008 Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth, announced by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Wednesday.

The 164 players are also the candidate for the 2008 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.  Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent dePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who developed the Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a 25- pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.

"The Draddy semifinalists represent everything good about college football," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "They are another fine example of how football builds leaders, and it is the NFF's duty to promote their accomplishments while encouraging future generations of gridiron standouts to aim high on and off the football field."

The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 29. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2008 National Scholar- Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Draddy winner, who will receive a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship, will be announced at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on December 9th at the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. A total distribution of more than $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.

Reckenbeil owns all but one school record at Moravian including marks for field goals in a game, with four, which he set last weekend against Johns Hopkins University, field goals in a season with 11, field goals in a career, now 34, extra-points in a game, tied with seven, extra-points in a career, with 83 after making his three attempts versus Johns Hopkins, points in a game, with 15 against Johns Hopkins, points in a season with 62 and points in a career, now with 185.  He is third in school history in total points, and the only school record Reckenbeil doesn’t own is extra-points in a season.  Reckenbeil, who was a high school soccer player and did not kick a football until arriving at Moravian in 2005, has connected on 51 straight extra-points, having not missed since the Widener University game on September 30, 2006. 

The Greyhounds will return to action on Saturday, October 4th in a Centennial Conference game at Dickinson College with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m. in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.