University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Hand Out Team Awards; McPhee MVP
12/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
STORRS, Conn. (December 4, 2005) - The University of Connecticut football team held its annual awards banquet on Sunday afternoon at the Rome Commons Ballroom on the Storrs campus. In addition to the usual honors, the team unveiled a new Unsung Hero Award dedicated in the memory of Joe Giannelli.
The team's Most Valuable Player Award was given to senior defensive tackle Deon McPhee (Abaco, Bahamas). One of the team’s leaders as a co-captain, McPhee was a rock in the middle of UConn’s defensive front, eating up blockers. The senior recorded a career-high 31 tackles in 2005, including 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He helped the Husky defense rank amongst the nation’s top 10 for the entire season, including two weeks at No. 1 in total defense. UConn’s 297.2 yards per game in total defense this fall is its lowest since 1979 when the Huskies allowed 289.4 yards per game. Giannelli was an assistant coach on that squad.
Junior tailback Terry Caulley (Lusby, Md.) picked up Offensive MVP honors. Caulley returned to the field this season after 23 long months of rehabilitating a severe knee injury suffered on Sept. 27, 2003. The junior led UConn on the ground in 2005 with his 141 carries, 659 yards and six touchdowns while catching 27 passes (third on the team) for 176 yards. He also was perhaps UConn’s top pass-protector out of the backfield as his good technique and ability to read blitzes compensated for his 5’7” frame.
Senior linebacker James Hargrave (Pleasantville, N.J.) was named the squad’s Defensive Player of the Year. The team co-captain was the only linebacker to start all 11 games for UConn this year, several of them with a broken thumb. Hargrave was third on the team with 62 tackles while leading the Huskies with both his 13.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. He also forced two fumbles, recovered one, broke up three passes and made just the second interception of his career during UConn’s 15-10 win over South Florida.
Sophomore safety Marvin Taylor (New Brunswick, N.J.) received the Special Teams Player of the Year honor after he tirelessly played on both punts and kickoffs, in addition to his regular starting role in the UConn secondary.
On the suggestion of former UConn assistant coach (1968-75) “Red” Kelin, present Husky mentor Randy Edsall enthusiastically added the Joseph M. Giannelli Unsung Hero Award to the existing list of annual UConn football prizes. A World War II veteran who passed away in 2002, Giannelli was a respected 37-year veteran of the UConn coaching staff, spending 15 years with the school’s football program, 20 years with the men’s golf program and two seasons coaching men’s lacrosse. The award will forever be presented to a UConn football player, selected by the coaches, who best displays effort, dedication and steady performance without notice and acclaim, making a significant, but perhaps hidden, contribution to the program. The award’s inaugural winner is senior walk-on quarterback Shane Fogarty (Morgantown, W. Va.) who served as the team’s holder for placement kicks during games this year and has dutifully worked as the scout team’s quarterback throughout his Husky career.
The Scholar Athlete Award was renamed the John L. Toner Scholar Athlete Award in honor of UConn’s former head football coach and director of athletics who went on to serve as President of the NCAA. It was presented to senior wide receiver Aaron Smith (Washington, D.C.) who has worked with numerous charitable organizations in Connecticut’s inner cities while working towards his degree in political science. UConn has nominated him for the prestigious Do Something BRICK Awards which recognize change-makers age 25 and under who identify problems in their communities, and then do something to change their world.
The Football Alumni Award (formerly the Huddle Club Award) went to senior defensive end Shawn Mayne (Montreal, Que.). The honor is bestowed upon the Husky who best exhibits leadership and dedication and is viewed as the ultimate team player. Mayne started all 11 games this year and topped all of UConn’s defensive linemen with 42 tackles. He led the line, and ranked third on the team with 10.5 tackles for loss, four of them sacks.
The Kendall Madison Award was given to senior offensive tackle Grant Preston (Mechanicsburg, Pa.). After he battled through countless minor injuries to start 47 career games in the trenches, Preston was recognized for being a “strong team player who’s dedication, hard work and outstanding citizenship best exemplify the strong spirit of the UConn Huskies.” The award is named for the former Husky who was tragically killed in the mid 1990s while being a good samaritan in his attempt to break up a bar room fight.
The Brian Kozlowski Award was given to senior linebacker Taurien Sowell (Bridgeport, Conn.) for being courageous, hard working and productive. The award is named for the former Husky and current Washington Redskins tight end who through relentless hard work, effort and dedication has been able to have a lengthy NFL career. Sowell was not offered scholarships by any other Division I-A programs out of Bridgeport Central High School, but he fought his way up the depth chart over his career, becoming the team’s starting middle linebacker in 2005, playing each of the last two games on a badly sprained ankle. Sowell had 51 tackles this year, 6.5 of them for a loss, including 2.5 sacks. In the three games he missed with his ankle injury (vs. Rutgers, West Virginia and Pittsburgh), UConn was 0-3 and allowed 357.3 yards per game. The Huskies went 5-3, allowing 274.6 yards per game when Sowell was in the lineup.
