Center Valley, PA -- (Sports Network) - Patriot League co-football champions Lafayette and Lehigh each placed 14 student-athletes on the 2006 All-Patriot League football team, with the Mountain Hawks leading the way with 10 First- Team selections. The 10 First-Team nods for Lehigh tied for the third most in Patriot League history.

All five major Patriot League football awards were spread throughout the League, as Holy Cross Head Coach Tom Gilmore was named Patriot League Coach of the Year in his third season at the helm of the Crusaders. Gilmore became the first Holy Cross head coach to win the honor since Mark Duffner in 1991.

Lafayette senior running back Jonathan Hurt (Orlando, Fla.) was named the Patriot League's Offensive Player of the Year, while Fordham senior linebacker Marcus Taylor (Silver Spring, Md.) was tabbed as the Patriot League's 2006 Defensive Player of the Year. Lehigh sophomore kicker and punter Jason Leo (Harleysville, Pa.) was selected Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Year and Georgetown freshman running back Charlie Houghton (Toronto, Ontario) became the first Hoya to ever claim a major Patriot League postseason football honor, earning the 2006 Patriot League Rookie of the Year award.

Hurt scored a Patriot League leading 17 touchdowns, 15 on the ground as he rumbled his way to his first 1,000-yard rushing season. He finished second overall in the Patriot League with 1,124 yards on the ground and added a career-high 291 receiving yards on 25 grabs. Hurt enters the NCAA Division I Football Championship First Round 25th in the nation in all- purpose yards and 24th in rushing.

Taylor finished second in the Patriot League and 11th in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision with 10.55 tackles per game in 2006. He racked up 116 total tackles for the Rams, with 52 solo stops and 64 assisted tackles. His four sacks (for losses of 37 yards) tied for the fourth highest in the Patriot League, while his 12.0 tackles for a loss (for 57 yards) ranked sixth in the Patriot League.

A two-time Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week in 2006, Leo was Mr. Everything for Lehigh, taking kickoff, punting, field goal and point after duties for the co-champions. He led all kickers in points in 2006, converting a Patriot League high 12 field goals and 33-of-34 point after attempts for 69 points, which ranked third overall among all Patriot League student-athletes.

Leo averaged 37.8 yards per punt, landing six inside the opponent's 20. He kicked a season-high 41-yard field goal against Yale on Oct. 14. Against Georgetown, Leo connected for three field goals, both PATs and averaged 51.3 yards on six kickoffs.

Lehigh split its 10 First-Team All-Patriot League selections evenly between the offense and defense. Eight of the 10 Mountain Hawks are first-time honorees as senior offensive lineman John Reese (Cleveland, Ohio) and senior defensive lineman Royce Morgan (Avenel, N.J.) were both named to the Second- Team in 2005. Rounding out Lehigh's First-Team honorees on offense is junior quarterback Sedale Threatt (Boston, Mass.), senior tight end Landon Maggs (Galloway, Ohio), senior offensive lineman Jim Petrucelli (Greenville, Del.) and Leo at kicker.

Four seniors made up the rest of Lehigh's First-Team contingent on defense - defensive linemen Paul Fabre (Beverly Hills, Mich.) and Eric Rakus (Suffield, Conn.), and defensive backs Julian Austin (Plainfield, N.J.) and Brannon Thomas (Belle Glade, Fla.).

Five of Lafayette's 14 All-Patriot League honorees were named to the First- Team, Hurt, senior wide receiver Joe Ort (Deltona, Fla.), 2005 First-Team selections senior offensive lineman Mike Saint Germain (Morris Plains, N.J.) and senior defensive lineman Marvin Snipes (Philadelphia, Pa.) and 2005 Second-Team honoree senior defensive back Torian Johnson (Largo, Fla.)

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE: QB Sedale Threatt, Lehigh; RB Jonathan Hurt, Lafayette; RB Jordan Scott, Colgate; WR Ryan Maher, Holy Cross; WR Joe Ort, Lafayette; TE Landon Maggs, Lehigh; OL Jake Sulovski, Colgate; OL Mike Saint Germain, Lafayette; OL John Reese, Lehigh; OL Andrew Schoepfer, Holy Cross; OL Jim Petrucelli, Lehigh; OL Hall McMillan, Holy Cross; K Jason Leo, Lehigh.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE: DL Alex Buzbee, Georgetown; DL Marvin Snipe, Lafayette; DL Paul Fabre, Lehigh; DL Royce Morgan, Lehigh; DL Eric Rackus, Lehigh; LB Mike Gallihugh, Colgate; LB Marcus Taylor, Fordham; LB Dorian Petersen, Bucknell; DB Julian Austin, Lehigh; DB Casey Gough, Holy Cross; DB Torian Johnson, Lafayette; DB Brannon Thomas, Lehigh; P Benjamin Dato, Fordham.

(Courtesy of Patriot League Media Relations)