Eleven members of the 2003 Wabash College football team have been selected to the All-NCAC Football Team. Senior Blair Hammer (Carmel, IN/Carmel) was a First Team selection for the third consecutive season. Stu Johnson (West Lafayette, IN/Harrison) and Dan Rodriguez (McAllen, TX/McAllen) earned First Team honors for the second year in a row.
Hammer spent the entire 2003 season hampered by serious injuries to both ankles, but still managed to finish with 42 tackles, 9-12/ tackles for losses totaling 45 yards, and five sacks for 36 yards. His efforts were part of a Little Giant defensive unit that led the NCAC in scoring defense, rushing defense, passing defense, and total defense. The Wabash defense is fourth in the nation in total defense, 11th in rushing defense and scoring defense, and 16th in pass defense. Hammer finished his career tied for the school record for sacks with 27-1/2, equaling the mark set by his brother, B.J. Hammer ’00.
Johnson was another key member of the Wabash defense, recording 53 tackles and one interception in 2003. He was fourth on the team in total tackles, and second in solo tackles with 32. He also had three pass breakups. His four-year career at Wabash ended with a total of seven interceptions, 174 tackles, and 15 pass breakups.
Rodriguez earned First Team honors as part of a Wabash offensive team that finished third in the NCAC in scoring offense, averaging 37.7 points per game. He was also one of the leaders on the offensive line that blocked for record-setting running backs Chris Morris (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville) and Aaron Lafitte (Goodyear, AZ/Ironwood). Rodriguez also blocked for sophomore quarterback Russ Harbaugh (Evansville, IN/Evansville), who set the school record for pass completion percentage this season.
Lafitte was also recognized for his outstanding season at Wabash. He earned a place on the All-Conference First Team at running back after leading the nation in freshman scoring with 96 points and a 9.6 points-per-game average. Lafitte shattered the Wabash freshman rushing record this year, carrying 156 times for 1,008 yards and 16 TDs, becoming the first freshman to top the 1,000-yard mark in a season at Wabash. He finished third in the conference in rushing average (100.8 ypg), third in all-purpose yards (124.1 ypg), and third in scoring (9.6 ppg).
Joining Lafitte, Hammer, Johnson, and Rodriguez on the All-Conference First Team was senior tight end Nick Dawson (LaFontaine, IN/Southwood). He earned his first All-Conference selection after making 18 catches for 146 yards and one TD. Dawson was also a CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team selection. He finished his career 17th on the all-time receiving list at Wabash with 89 receptions for 872 yards and nine TDs.
Sophomore linebacker Josh Foster (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis) also earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team. Foster was third on the Wabash squad in total tackles with 57, tied third with 30 solo stops, and tied for the lead with 29 assisted tackles. He had 10 tackles for losses totaling 38 yards to tie for the top mark on the team. He also had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Foster was named the NCAC Defensive Player of the Week for October 26.
Senior Nick Fanelli (Crown Point, IN/Lake Central) was a 2003 First Team All-Conference honoree after earning Second Team honors in 2002. Fanelli led the Little Giants in tackles with 64, and was tops in solo tackles with 35. He has three interceptions, including two returns for touchdowns and a third that he ran back to the one-yard line against Kalamazoo. Fanelli also had 5-1/2 tackles for losses and two sacks in his final year at Wabash.
Senior Artie Montes (Mission, TX/Mission) was a Second Team All-Conference selection. Montest started all ten games for the Little Giants at cornerback, finishing the year with 19 tackles and one interception. He also added one pass breakup to his season totals. Montes was a 2001 Honorable Mention All-Conference selection and was named to the 2002 All-Conference First Team.
Senior receiver Josh Bronaugh (New Ross, IN/North Montgomery) earned a place on the Honorable Mention All-Conference team. He led the conference in receiving yards per game with an average of 73.8 yards per contest, was tops in the league in total receiving yards with 738, second in punt return yards (11.4 ypr), and fifth in all-purpose yards (120.9 ypg). He is 12th on the Wabash all-time receptions list with 117 catches, and ninth on the all-time receiving yardage list with 1,973. Bronaugh was a Second Team All-Conference selection in 2002.
Sophomores Aaron Selby (Crawfordsville, IN/Southmont) and T.T. Jackson (Evansville, IN/Harrison) join Bronaugh on the Honorable Mention All-NCAC team. Selby moved to middle linebacker after playing outside as a freshman. He made the transition this season by recording 37 tackles, including 22 solo stops while starting all ten games for the Little Giants. Selby also had nine tackles for losses totaling 36 yards, including 4-1/2 sacks for 29 yards. He also recorded his first career interception and had four fumble recoveries.
Jackson was the second-leading tackler for the Little Giants in 2003, making 59 stops. He had 30 solo tackles, five tackles for losses of 23 yards, and 2-1/2 sacks for 21 yards. He had an interception against Huntingdon and had a career-best 10 tackles to earn NCAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.