Howard, Stoll, Lechtenberg Earn Top NEC Honors

For the second consecutive season the Central Connecticut State football team took home three major NEC postseason awards. Elijah Howard became the first player in 24 years to win the league's Offensive Player of the Year honor in consecutive seasons, while Jack Stoll is just the third Blue Devil, and second in a row, to be named Defensive Player of the Year. Howard and Stoll headlined 15 Blue Devil selections to the All-NEC Teams, as voted by the league's head coaches.

Third-year head coach Adam Lechtenberg was named the NEC Coach of the Year for the second time in as many seasons. He has engineered back-to-back NEC Championships for the Blue Devils, going 11-2 in league games during the two-year stretch. Lechtenberg is the first CCSU football coach to win the honor in two different seasons. He has led the Blue Devils to consecutive FCS Playoff appearances for the first time in program history.

Howard led the NEC in rushing yards (1,079), rushing yards per game (98.0) and rushing touchdowns (11). He has rushed for more than 100 yards in five of the past seven games including the last three of the regular season. Howard leads the NEC in all-purpose yards with 1,374, after collecting 296 receiving yards on a team-best 36 receptions. He is just the third player in the league's history to repeat as the offensive player of the year.

Stoll leads the Blue Devils with 86 total tackles this season, including 50 solo stops. He has amassed 15.5 tackles for loss during the year, which is third most in a single season by a Blue Devil since the turn of the century. Stoll notched three QB hurries, broke up a pass and blocked a field goal during the campaign. He recorded three double-digit tackle games this season, twice finishing a game with a dozen tackles.

Joining Howard on the All-NEC First Team from the offense are quarterback Brady Olson, tight end Peter Cleary, and offensive linemen Isaiah DeLoatch and Precious Ekeh. Stoll was joined on the defensive side of the ball by defensive lineman Gavin Taylor, linebacker Malachi Wright and defensive back Chris Jean. Donovan Wadley was tabbed as the league's first team return man.

DeLoatch, Howard, Jean, Stoll and Wright earn first team honors for the second consecutive year. Wadley earned first-team accolades at receiver and returner in 2023 while at Merrimack.

Wadley was also named to the All-NEC Second Team at wide receiver, alongside Michael Trovarelli. Three Blue Devils, linemen Wayne Coleman, Jr. and Clifton Thompson and defensive back Brayden Hall, were also voted to the second team.

Taylor is the league-leader in sacks, with 7.5 through the end of the regular season. He has made 28 tackles on the year, with 9.5 going for a loss of yardage. He leads the team with 11 QB hurries, has forced two fumbles and blocked a kick this season as well

Wright is second on the roster with 69 tackles, a career best. He made 15 tackles, second most in a game in the NEC this season, in the Blue Devils road victory at Robert Morris. He followed that with a 10-tackle game in the overtime victory at Wagner. Wright has 8.5 TFL this season and 3.5 sacks.

Jean, the 2024 NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year, remains one of the top defenders in the league. He defended 16 passes this season and is fourth in the FCS with 1.33 passes defended per game. Jean is third on the roster with 67 tackles and tied for the team lead with 50 solo stops. He recorded a career-high dozen tackles at Duquesne. Jean has 12 PBU, four interceptions and a forced fumble.

Olson has engineered one of the top seasons in program history, throwing for 2,821 yards on 236-397. He is 113 yards shy of the single season record for passing yards. In the last three weeks, Olson has completed 70 passes, at a 63.7 percent clip, for 905 yards, including a school-record 423 at Duquesne. In that time frame he has thrown nine touchdowns, bringing his season total to 23 – a school record.

Cleary has had a career-year. He has made 24 catches in the 10 games he has played, for 335 yards.

DeLoatch and Ekeh helped anchor an offensive line that helps the Blue Devils to 381.6 yards of total offense a game. The Blue Devils offense amassed over 500 yards of offense in three games this season and scored over 30 points in half of its games. They led the way for a 1,000-yard rusher and protected a quarterback that is on the verge of a single-season passing record.

Wadley is second in the conference with a 22.9 yard per kickoff return average this season to pick up the first team return specialist nod. He had nine returns for 206 yards, with a long of 40 yards. He is second on the team in all-purpose yardage, averaging 60.7 yards per game. He leads the team with 455 receiving yards on 22 catches, averaging 20.7 yards per reception. Wadley has caught three touchdown passes.

Trovarelli has caught a team-best six touchdown passes this season and is second on the team with 33 receptions. He has amassed 387 receiving yards this season for the Blue Devils.

Coleman has been a force on the defensive line, with 8.0 of his tackles for a loss of yardage. He has 3.5 sacks in that number, to go along with four QB hurries. All told, Coleman has made 39 tackles this season.

Thompson is another presence on the DL, where he has recorded 21 total tackles. He has 2.0 TFL and a QBH to his credit.

Hall has stepped into a strong defensive back unit, where he has excelled. Hall has 46 tackles this season, averaging 5.0 per game over the last four outings. He has broken up nine passes, tied for second on the roster this season and has a QB hurry to his credit.

The Blue Devils will take on URI in the FCS Playoff First Round on Saturday, November 29^th. The game is set for 12:00 pm at Meade Stadium in Kingston, RI.