University Of Miami Football Awards Presented At Annual Banquet

Dec. 13, 1999

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami football team held its annualFootball Awards Banquet on Monday night at the Radisson Mart Hotel Centre inMiami. At the banquet, sponsored by the Touchdown Club and the HurricaneClub, 17 awards were presented to individual Hurricane football players,including the Jack Harding Award for Most Valuable Player.

Junior tight end Daniel “Bubba” Franks was presented the Jack Harding Award(Most Valuable Player) by Head Coach Butch Davis. Franks, a first-teamAll-American by The Sporting News and Football News, registered 45 catchesfor 565 yards and five touchdowns in 1999.

Senior fullback Mondriel Fulcher, who moved from tight end to fullback priorto the ’99 season, was given the Unsung Hero Award. Senior long snapper PatDel Vecchio, a Chemistry major with a grade point average over 3.32, waspresented with the Mariutto Family Scholarship Award for AcademicExcellence. Senior center Ty Wise won the Plumer Award(Leadership/Motivation/Spirit), while senior defensive tackle Matt Sweeneynetted the Dale Melching Leadership Award. Junior wide receiver ReggieWayne earned the Jesse Armstead Comeback Player of the Year Award aftercoming back from off-season knee surgery to post 40 catches for 486 yardsand four TDs in 1999.

The 11 other awards were presented to: senior defensive end Michael Boireau(Hard Hitter Award), junior running back James Jackson (Offensive Back ofthe Year), senior offensive guard Richard Mercier (Offensive Lineman of theYear), junior wide receiver Santana Moss (Receiver of the Year), juniorsafety Al Blades (Defensive Back of the Year), junior defensive tackleDamione Lewis (Defensive Lineman of the Year), junior linebackers Dan Morganand Nate Webster (co-Linebackers of the Year), junior Aaron Moser (SpecialtyTeam Player of the Year), senior center Ty Wise (StrengthTraining Athlete of the Year), freshman running back Clinton Portis(Offensive Rookie of the Year), and freshman defensive end William Joseph(Defensive Rookie of the Year).

Miami (8-4, 6-1 BIG EAST) will face Georgia Tech (8-3, 5-2 ACC) in theToyota Gator Bowl on January 1, 2000 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, FL.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI FOOTBALL AWARDS: