When the Hobart College football team arrives on campus next month, the Statesmen will look to senior captains
Brian Monaco and
Ryan Robinson for leadership. They were elected to serve as captains in a vote of their teammates this past spring.
“These two young men are shining examples of what all student-athletes should strive to be,” Head Coach
Mike Cragg said. “Brian and Ryan are standouts on the field, in the locker room, and in the classroom.”
The first Statesmen football player to earn first team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American honors, Monaco is a 6-foot-2, 290-pound offensive guard. Last season, the Hobart offense produced 316.8 yards per game and led the Liberty League in fewest sacks allowed per game. Monaco is a two-time All-Liberty League selection and a two-time Liberty League All-Academic Team member.
A two-time All-Liberty League selection at outside linebacker, Robinson is Hobart’s top returning tackler. He was fourth on the squad with 54 stops in 2008, including a team-high 14 tackles for a loss. Robinson also shared the team lead in sacks with three. He begins his final collegiate season with 109 career tackles, including 20.5 for a loss. Like Monaco, Robinson is a two-time Liberty League All-Academic Team member.
Robinson’s brother, Nolan, was also a linebacker for the Statesmen, serving as a team captain during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
Hobart, which was picked 17th in the Sporting News’ college football preseason poll, was 9-2 last season. The Statesmen won their eighth Liberty League Championship and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
Hobart will open its 116th varsity season on Sept. 12 at Dickinson. The Statesmen will make their home debut against Carnegie Mellon on Sept. 19. That contest will be televised by Time Warner Cable Sports.