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Purtell, Bell named Football Gazette All-Americans
December 13 , 2004
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Second-team All-American |
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Third-team All-American |
GENEVA, N.Y.—All-America week begins today for Division III Football with the announcement of the Football Gazette teams. Two Hobart College Statesmen were named to the annual teams.
Senior defensive end Chris Purtell (Pioneer/Sardinia, N.Y.) garnered second-team honors and senior offensive lineman Alex Bell (Wallkill/Modena, N.Y.) earned third-team praise. This marks the first time that more than one Statesman has been named to the Football Gazette All-America teams since 1996.
The Football Gazette East Region and Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year, Purtell shared the team lead with 71 tackles despite missing the Statesmen’s two NCAA playoff games due to illness. He started all nine games he played in this season, recording 14½ tackles for a loss, including 4½ sacks. Purtell was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week three times this season.
Purtell completed his career at Hobart with 155 tackles (74 solo), 24½ sacks, eight tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, and recovered five fumbles. With Purtell in the lineup, Hobart did not allow a 100-yard rusher this season, leading the Liberty League in rushing defense (109.8 yds/g).
A 6-foot-3, 317-pound guard, Bell was a four-time All-Liberty League performer for the Statesmen. He anchored an offensive line that helped the Statesmen lead the conference in rushing average (199.9 yds/g) and passing efficiency (149.9). He is one of 42 NCAA Division III seniors from around the country who helped Team USA to a 23-3 victory in the Aztec Bowl over Mexico.
Bell already has compiled a long list of accolades. In addition to four all-conference appearances, he was named to the D3football.com and the Sports Information Directors 2003 All-America teams, while garnering Football Gazette All-East honors three times.
Hobart finished the season with a 9-2 record, matching the program record for wins. With a perfect 7-0 record, the Statesmen won the Liberty League for the third straight year, earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Hobart reached the regional semifinals with a 35-16 win over Curry College, before falling to the region’s top seeded team, Rowan University.
All-America week continues with the announcement of the American Football Coaches Association team on Dec. 15, and the D3football.com team on Dec. 18.