University of Connecticut Athletics
Football Announces Annual Team Awards
12/8/2019 8:58:00 PM | Football
STORRS, Conn. - The UConn football team announced its annual team awards on Sunday evening and junior running back Kevin Mensah was honored as the team's Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year.
Mensah rushed for over 1,000-yards for the second-straight season, marking only the second time that a Husky (Jordan Todman in 2009 and 2010) eclipsed 1,000-yards rushing in consecutive years.  Mensah's five rushing TD's against UMass on October 26 marked the highest single-game total in the nation this year and he was honored as the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against the Minutemen, which included 164-yards on the ground.
Sophomore defensive tackle Travis Jones was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year after recording 40 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. The Connecticut native also posted four QB hits and one fumble recovery.
Redshirt sophomore punter Luke Magliozzi was named Special Teams Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season after posting another outstanding campaign. He averaged 42.4 yards per punt and pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line 19 times. He booted 14 punts of at least 50 yards and connected on a career-high 61-yarder during his redshirt sophomore season. Magliozzi was also honored as the recipient of the Brian Kozlowski Award, which is earned by the player who is the most courageous, hardworking and productive on the team.
Graduate student Art Thompkins made a big impact during his short time with the Huskies and he was honored with the Jasper T. Howard "Play-Every-Play" Award. A graduate transfer from Toledo, Thompkins saw significant action in all 12 games, registering totals of 468 rushing yards, 257 receiving yards and 737 yards on kick returns. His 121.8 all-purpose yards per game were invaluable.Â
Offensive lineman Noel Brouse earned the John L. Toner Scholar Athlete Award, recognizing a senior member of the program that has demonstrated outstanding academic performance and citizenship while making a significant contribution to the overall success of the team.
Junior long snapper Brian Keating was honored as the Joseph M. Giannelli Unsung Hero Award after serving as the sole long-snapper in all 12 of UConn's games. He also posted four tackles, including three solo tackles in 2019.Â
Senior right tackle Matt Peart earned the Kendall Madison Award, which is given to a strong player whose dedication, hard work and outstanding citizenship best exemplify the strong spirit of the UConn Huskies.Â
Peart started every game for the Huskies in his four-year career and was honored as a First Team All-Conference selection earlier in the week. He was a stalwart on the UConn offensive line, which produced three 1,000-yard rushers over the last two years.
Finally, redshirt senior linebacker Eli Thomas was chosen as the winner of the Alumni Award, which is presented to a senior who is the manifestation of the ultimate team player.
Although he only played in four games during his career at UConn, his mark on the program is indelible. Thomas suffered a stroke on October 10, 2018 but has since made a full recovery and is on track to earn his degree. While his playing career is over, Thomas worked out with the team in 2019 and served as a team captain. His optimism and dedication through so much adversity is an inspiration to the entire UConn community.
