Oct. 17, 2001
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Deciding on the right school is a difficult choice for any student. For some, finding the right mix of academics and athletics makes the task more challenging. When the time came for Jim Dietz and Stewart Kupfer to make the decision, they found exactly what they needed at Lafayette.
Both Pennsylvania natives looked at Ivy League and Patriot League schools including Harvard, Dartmouth, Cornell, Penn, Bucknell and Lehigh. Lafayette offered what each of those schools could not - the right fit.
"Jim and Stewart both had very strong academics coming out of high school," said Leopards' head football coach Frank Tavani. "At the time we didn't think we had much of a chance going head to head with some of the Ivy League schools. It says a lot for Lafayette that two student-athletes from the same class and in the same situation chose our school."
"The environment here offers the best of both worlds," Tavani said. "It has a small college environment and the opportunity to be on a first-name basis with professors combined with the chance to play Division I sports."
"I had a good feeling about Lafayette," Kupfer said. "There is so much support from everyone surrounding the school and the football program. It made me feel very comfortable with the atmosphere here."
Tavani admits that attracting student-athletes here to play football was a challenge at the time Kupfer and Dietz were applying to schools, but both of them looked past it all and found a place they could fit in for the next four years.
Kupfer arrived on campus after a successful career at Plymouth-Whitemarsh high school where he earned MVP honors in football while serving as captain his senior year. At Lafayette, he jumped on the scene as a sophomore in 1999 where he started all 11 games at tight end and finished fourth on the squad with 21 receptions.
As a junior, Kupfer caught 19 passes for three touchdowns, including two at Pennsylvania. In the Leopards game versus Fordham, Kupfer made a career-high six receptions for 55 yards.
Off the field, Kupfer has shown he has dedication in the classroom as well, earning GTE/CoSIDA District II Academic All-America honors in 1999 and Verizon District II Academic All-American honors in 2000. The Business and Economics major, who carries a 3.36 GPA was also named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll in 1999 and 2000.
The 2001 season started off slowly for the Leopards but things started looking better after the win versus Columbia last week. Kupfer caught a career-high three touchdown receptions in the 31-14 victory, tying a school record.
"Columbia was exciting because our offense played with so much confidence," Kupfer said. "It was a great feeling to look at everyone on the field and see in their faces that they knew we could win every game if we play to our ability. Hopefully we'll take that momentum into each game from now on."
Dietz saw increased playing time as a sophomore when he was moved to wide receiver after a successful career as a high school quarterback. As a senior at Neshaminy, Dietz threw for 1,950 yards and 20 touchdowns and completed 58 percent of his passes. Upon arriving at Lafayette, the coaching staff wanted to utilize his athletic abilities and moved him to the flanker position.
As a junior, Dietz started the first four games for the Leopards and finished fourth on the team with 19 receptions for 247 yards. He made a career-high four receptions for 37 yards in Lafayette's win over Princeton in 2000.
So far in 2001, Dietz has emerged as a consistent performer for the Leopards after starting all four contests and catching 12 passes for 119 yards.
"He has proven to be a solid player," Tavani said. "He's been a leader in the receiving core that has been crucial to our success."
Off the field, Dietz is an Engineering major with a 3.02 GPA.
The two seniors have faced adversity in a football program looking to find the success for which they have worked so hard. They both realize in the end it's not about the numbers but what they have taken from the experiences.
"If you look past the records, it's more than just the wins," Kupfer said. "I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to play with such a great group of guys. I sometimes hear people tell me how I turned down other schools that they think are better, but I tell them how I've taken so much more out of Lafayette. I feel very lucky to be in this situation."
