Nov. 15, 2001
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Six Lafayette student-athletes have been named to the Verizon District II Academic All-America football team. Two Leopards earned first-team honors, while four were named to the second team, raising the program's total number of Academic All-Americans to 26 in the last six seasons and 11 in the two seasons under head coach Frank Tavani.
To qualify for selection, an individual must have reached his sophomore year, maintained a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.2 or better and be a starter or an important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.
Senior tight end Stewart Kupfer (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) was named to the District II first team for the third straight season. Kupfer has started the last 31 straight games as Lafayette's tight end and is currently second on the team with 41 receptions for 436 yards and four touchdowns. The Business and Economics major holds a 3.36 GPA has earned a spot on Lafayette's Dean's List three semesters and the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll each semester.
Also earning a spot on the District II first team is junior defensive back Herb Kennedy (Troy, N.Y./Troy). A second-team honoree last season, Kennedy has a 3.27 GPA majoring in Chemistry. He is fourth on the team with 50 total tackles, while also recording two fumble recoveries, seven pass deflections and two tackles for loss. Also a member of Lafayette's track and field team, Kennedy helped the Leopards' 4x400-meter relay squad to a second-place finish at the 2001 Patriot League outdoor track and field championships. A three-time member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, he has also returned three kickoffs this season for 59 yards.
Four Leopards earned a spot on the District II second team, including junior defensive back Jamie Anzalone (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary), junior defensive lineman Matt Hinzpeter (Norwood, N.J./Northern Valley), senior quarterback/wide receiver Chad Ritchie (Winchester, Va./John Handley) and sophomore offensive lineman Curt Wilson (Northampton, Pa./Northampton).
Anzalone earns the second-team nod for the second straight season. He holds a 3.34 GPA majoring in Government and Law, having been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll last season and Lafayette's Dean's List twice. Through nine games this season, Anzalone has recorded 22 total tackles, one tackle for loss and one blocked punt.
Hinzpeter, who earns Academic All-America honors for the first time in his career, has been a key reserve on the Leopards' defensive line this season. A Dean's List student with a double major in Psychology and Business and Economics and a 3.41 GPA, he has recorded nine tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack for 11 yards.
Ritchie earns his second straight spot on the District II second team after seeing time at both quarterback and receiver for the Leopards in 2001. A two-time Dean's List student and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll member, Ritchie holds a 3.42 GPA majoring in Business and Economics. Used primarily in goal line situations at quarterback, Ritchie has completed 14-of-30 passes for 92 yards and three touchdowns. He has also caught two passes for 12 yards and rushed 14 times for 50 yards and two touchdowns.
The Leopards' lone sophomore honoree, Wilson has been a key member of Lafayette's rebuilding offensive line which leads the Patriot League in sacks allowed with just 10 through nine games of the 2001 season. A mechanical engineering major with a 3.50 GPA, he earned a spot on the Dean's List each of his first two semesters at Lafayette. Wilson has also helped the Leopards to a Patriot League-leading 258.4 yards of passing offense per game.
The Leopards conclude their second season under Tavani on Saturday at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem with the 137th meeting of the Lafayette-Lehigh rivalry. One of the most storied rivalries in all of college football, the Leopards (2-7, 1-5 Patriot League) look to upset the undefeated and NCAA Tournament bound Mountain Hawks (9-0, 5-0 Patriot League).
