2016 Asa S. Bushnell Cup Presentation on ILDN

NEW YORK -- Penn junior wide receiver Justin Watson, Princeton junior running back John Lovett, Dartmouth senior linebacker Folarin Orimolade and Tigers junior defensive lineman Kurt Holuba were named the finalists for the 2016 Asa S. Bushnell Cup, which honors the Ivy League Football Players of the Year.

The four Ivy football standouts will travel to New York City for the Bushnell Cup Presentation, co-hosted by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and sponsored by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, Monday, Dec. 5 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live and free of charge on The Ivy League Digital Network (ILDN).

This year's presentation will mark the seventh-consecutive year that the NFF has partnered with the Ivy League to recognize the conference's offensive and defensive players of the year, and the third-straight season the ceremony is sponsored by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

The two offensive and two defensive finalists along with their respective head coaches will be on hand as Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris unveils the winners' names in front of a packed crowd of media representatives, NFF Board members and Ivy League football alumni, dignitaries and friends.

2016 ASA S. BUSHNELL CUP FINALISTS
OFFENSIVE
Justin Watson, Penn
For the second consecutive season, Quakers junior receiver Justin Watson led the Ivy League in receptions (89), yards (1,115) and touchdowns (8), en route to his second straight unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection. For good measure, he led the Ivy League in all-purpose yards with 1,248. A preseason member of the FCS National Offensive Player of the Year watchlist, Watson did not disappoint, as he is third in the FCS in receptions-per-game (8.9), fifth in yards-per-game (111.5) and eighth in total receiving yards. He was recently named one of 15 finalists for the Walter Payton Award as FCS National Offensive Player of the Year.

Over his last six games, Watson had 60 receptions for 684 yards and five touchdowns, which would rank second, fourth and tied for fifth in the League, respectively. Watson set new Penn single-season records in both receptions and yards. Just a junior, Watson already ranks second all-time at Penn in receiving yards (2,694), second in receptions (205), and fourth in receiving TDs (19). On the Ivy League’s all-time records lists, he is ninth all-time in receiving yards and 12th all-time in receptions.

John Lovett, Princeton
Princeton junior John Lovett is a man of multiple positions, as he played running back, quarterback and even wide receiver for the Tigers. Lovett ran the ball 98 times for 411 yards and a Princeton program record 20 touchdowns, which led the FCS. He became the sixth Ivy to rush for at least 20 touchdowns in a single season and the first since 2014 Bushnell Cup Winner Tyler Varga of Yale.

Lovett also completed 51 passes in 77 attempts for 582 yards and 10 touchdowns, while catching 26 passes for 235 yards and one touchdown. In total, Lovett accounted for 31 touchdowns this season, including a Princeton record seven in the Tigers’ win over Cornell in which he recorded four rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. Lovett leads the nation not only in rushing touchdowns but also scoring, and he ranks in the top 10 in the Ivy League in rushing yards, yards per game and yards per carry.

DEFENSIVE
Folarin Orimolade, Dartmouth
Dartmouth senior linebacker Folarin Orimolade was placed on the watch list for the FCS Defensive Player of the Year before the season began, and he backed up the recognition. Named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as the nation’s top defensive player among FCS programs, Orimolade led the nation with 5.0 forced fumbles and ranked 16th with 9.0 sacks, while leading the Ivy League in both categories.

Orimolade finished second in the League in tackles for a loss (14.5) and fifth in tackles (83), taking home two Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors this season. He recorded two sacks in a single contest three separate times this season and for his efforts received his second-straight first-team All-Ivy honor after a vote by the League’s eight coaches.

Kurt Holuba, Princeton
A key member of the Princeton defensive unit that led the Ivy League in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense was junior defensive lineman Kurt Holuba, who led the Ivy League with 7.0 sacks in conference play and finished second with 8.0 sacks overall. Holuba ranks tied for 24th in the nation in sacks, leading a team that ranked fifth nationally in rushing defense and 15th in total defense.

Holuba, the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after a three-sack performance against Harvard, recorded at least a half sack in five of the last six games, and he finished with 34 tackles from his defensive line position.

ASA S. BUSHNELL CUP HISTORY
Presented annually since 1970, The Asa S. Bushnell Cup honors its namesake, a 1921 Princeton alumnus and the commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference from 1938 to 1970. The Bushnell Cup is awarded by a vote of the Ivy League's eight head football coaches to the players who display outstanding qualities of leadership, competitive spirit, contribution to the team and accomplishments on the field.

From 1970 to 2010, the Bushnell Cup recognized an Ivy League Player of the Year (or co-Players of the Year if there was a tie in voting). Beginning with the 2010 season, the award was presented as a part of the festivities surrounding the NFF Annual Awards Dinner with four finalists named a week prior to the presentation. Beginning with the 2011 season, the award began recognizing Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, honoring each as a recipient of the Bushnell Cup. Two offensive finalists and two defensive finalists are named with the Players of the Year unveiled at the presentation.

All-Time Recipient List
1970 - Jim Chasey, QB, Dartmouth & Ed Marinaro, RB, Cornell
1971 - Ed Marinaro, RB, Cornell
1972 - Dick Jauron, RB, Yale
1973 - Jim Stoeckel, QB, Harvard
1974 - Walt Snickenberger, RB, Princeton
1975 - Doug Jackson, RB, Columbia
1976 - John Pagliaro, RB, Yale
1977 - John Pagliaro, RB, Yale
1978 - Buddy Teevens, QB, Dartmouth
1979 - Tim Tumpane, LB, Yale
1980 - Kevin Czinger, MG, Yale
1981 - Rich Diana, RB, Yale
1982 - John Witkowski, QB, Columbia
1983 - Derrick Harmon, RB, Cornell
1984 - Tim Chambers, DB, Penn
1985 - Tom Gilmore, DT, Penn
1986 - Rich Comizio, RB, Penn
1987 - Kelly Ryan, QB, Yale
1988 - Jason Garrett, QB, Princeton
1989 - Judd Garrett, RB, Princeton
1990 - Shon Page, RB, Dartmouth
1991 - Al Rosier, RB, Dartmouth
1992 - Jay Fiedler, QB, Dartmouth
1993 - Keith Elias, RB, Princeton
1994 - Pat Goodwillie, LB, Penn
1995 - Dave Patterson, LB, Princeton
1996 - Chad Levitt, RB, Cornell
1997 - Sean Morey, WR, Brown
1998 - Jim Finn, RB, Penn
1999 - James Perry, QB, Brown
2000 - Gavin Hoffman, QB, Penn
2001 - Carl Morris, WR, Harvard
2002 - Carl Morris, WR, Harvard
2003 - Mike Mitchell, QB, Penn
2004 - Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Harvard
2005 - Nick Hartigan, RB, Brown
2006 - Jeff Terrell, QB, Princeton
2007 - Mike McLeod, RB, Yale
2008 - Chris Pizzotti, QB, Harvard
2009 - Buddy Farnham, WR, Brown & Jake Lewko, LB, Penn
2010 - Gino Gordon, RB, Harvard & Nick Schwieger, RB, Dartmouth
2011 - Offensive Player of the Year: Jeff Mathews, QB, Cornell
           Defensive Player of the Year: Josue Ortiz, DT, Harvard
2012 - Offensive Player of the Year: Colton Chapple, QB, Harvard
           Defensive Player of the Year: Mike Catapano, DL, Princeton
2013 - Offensive Player of the Year: Quinn Epperly, QB, Princeton
           Defensive Player of the Year: Zack Hodges, DE, Harvard
2014 - Offensive Player of the Year: Tyler Varga, RB, Yale
           Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Zack Hodges, DE, Harvard & Mike Zeuli, LB, Princeton
2015 - Offensive Player of the Year: Scott Hosch, QB, Harvard
            Defensive Player of the Year: Tyler Drake, LB, Penn

Several past Bushnell Cup recipients currently hold impressive coaching positions, including: Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys Director of Pro Scouting Judd Garrett, Holy Cross head coach Tom Gilmore, Princeton offensive coordinator James Perry and Dartmouth head coach Buddy Teevens.

The evening following the Bushnell Cup Presentation, the NFF will stage its 59th Annual Awards Dinner also at the Waldorf Astoria. As the culmination of the regular season, the event provides the stage for the induction of the 2016 College Football Hall of Fame Class; the presentation of the 2016 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments; and the bestowing of the 27th NFF William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments and named for the former Columbia player and head coach and 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, to the nation's top scholar-athlete.

Eight NFF National Scholar-Athletes have claimed the Bushnell Cup: Dick Jauron (Yale, 1972), Kevin Czinger (Yale, 1980), Richard Diana (Yale, 1981), Tom Gilmore (Penn, 1985), Keith Elias (Princeton, 1993), Nick Hartigan (Brown, 2005), Jeff Mathews (Cornell, 2011) and Tyler Varga (Yale, 2014).

Jauron was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2015 class. He joined Ed Marinaro (Cornell) as the only two members of the Hall to have claimed the Bushnell Cup and becomes the first person ever to hold all three titles as a Bushnell Cup recipient, NFF National Scholar-Athlete and a College Football Hall of Famer. Former Harvard tight end Pat McInally will join the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2016 class.