WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet University football team is back and ready to kick-off the 2021 season in September.
The coronavirus canceled the 2020 football season and sidelined the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). Gallaudet has regrouped and are preparing for the 2021 season with a healthy number of student-athletes in training camp.
The Bison return a lot of experience on both sides of the ball and due to the coronavirus players didn't lose a year of eligibility with last year's cancelation. Several "super seniors" line the GU roster as those players play a fifth year in the buff and blue.
It will be 679 days between Gallaudet football games once the Bison line-up on the gridiron in mid-September. The Bison student-athletes are eager to get out there and represent the "Home of the Huddle."
Below is a breakdown of the 2021 Gallaudet football team.
2020 Review
Season Canceled due to COVID-19
Highlights: Eight All-Academic selections, two CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honorees.
2019 Review
Record: 2-6
ECFC Record: 2-3
Highlights: 13 All-ECFC honors, eight All-Academic selections, three CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honorees, 2019 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year nominee, three National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society selections
Offense
Timel Benton (Columbia, S.C.), Sr., Quarterback
Benton, a two-time all-conference honorable mention selection, is back under center for the Bison in 2021. Benton has thrown for 2,348 yards and 23 touchdowns in 29 career games and has run for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Cress Fisher (Boyertown, Pa.), Sr., Offensive Line
The four-year letterwinner lineman is a leader in classroom and on the field for the Bison. Fisher was recognized by the NFF as a semifinalist for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy. Fisher is a three-time ECFC All-academic honoree and selected twice by CoSIDA to its Academic All-District First Team for District 2. Fisher has 21 starts under his belt and was an all-conference honorable mention selection in 2019.
Daniel Tanielu (Federal Way, Wash.), Sr., Offensive Line
Tanielu is a two-time all-conference lineman for the Bison. Tanileu was selected to the 2019 All-ECFC First Team Offense after being named to the 2018 All-ECFC Second Team Offense. The Bison ran for 235 yards per game (5.4 yards per rush) in 2019 thanks to Tanielu and others upfront.
Defense
Stefan Anderson (New Market, Md.), So., Linebacker
Anderson was a 2019 All-ECFC honorable mention selection after a strong rookie debut. Anderson made 56 tackles (26 solo) in eight games during the 2019 campaign. Anderson tallied five tackles for a loss of 23 yards and 2.5 sacks for a loss of 15 yards and forced one fumble.
Rodney Burford Jr. (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Jr., Linebacker
Burford was third on the team with 48 tackles during the 2019 season. Burford added six tackles for a loss of 27 yards and 1.5 sacks for a loss of 14 yards and one forced fumble. In three seasons, Burford has tallied 107 tackles and 13.5 tackles for
a loss of 39 yards.
Dalton Taylor (Austin, Texas), Sr., Defensive Back
Taylor was tied for fourth on the team with 34 tackles (25 solo) and was tied for the team lead for interceptions with two to go with two pass breakups.
Special Teams
Rollo Chester Jr. (Macon, Ga.), Sr., Long Snapper
Chester is an experienced long snapper for the Bison and returns for a fourth year in the buff and blue.
Jack Gray (Atherton, Calif.), Jr., Kicker/Defensive Back
Gray converted 22 of 26 of Gallaudet's extra-point attempts during the 2019 season to record 22 points for the Bison. Gray was tied for fourth on the team with 34 tackles (23 solo) and was tied for the team lead for interceptions with two and had a team best five pass breakups in 2019.
Nicholas Maccini (San Diego, Calif.), Jr., Punter
Maccini landed on the 2019 All-ECFC honorable mention list as a punter. He booted 31 punts for 1,093 yards (35.3 average) with a career-best 60-yard punt against Alvernia (Sept. 6) and had 11 punts land inside the 20. Maccini was sixth on the team with 31 tackles.
QUOTING COACH
"We are excited to be back on the gridiron after being away for so long. It is great having the student-athletes back on campus preparing for the upcoming season. We are looking forward to being competitive and having a chance to compete this fall,"Chuck Goldstein, Gallaudet University football head coach.
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
Season/Home Opener: vs. Thaddeus Stevens (Sat., Sept. 18, 1 p.m.)
Conference Opener: vs. Dean (Sat., Oct. 2, Noon)
Homecoming/Senior Day: vs. Alfred St. (Sat., Oct. 23, 1 p.m.)
Gallaudet has an eight-game slate in 2021 with four home games at Hotchkiss Field.
The Bison will play two non-conference games in September as the buff and blue welcome Thaddeus Stevens on Saturday, Sept. 18, in a non-NCAA game. GU will then hit the road to play Greensboro College on Saturday, Sept. 25. The month of October
starts the six-game Eastern Collegiate Football Conference slate. Gallaudet will host Dean College, the defending conference champions from 2019, on Oct. 2 before welcoming new ECFC member Keystone College (Oct. 9) the following week. GU will travel to Maritime (N.Y.) on Oct. 16 before coming back home to host Alfred St. (Oct. 23) for Homecoming/Senior Day. The Bison will close out the regular-season schedule on the road with trips to Anna Maria (Nov. 6) and Castleton (Nov. 13).
BISON HOME GAMES
Sept. 18 vs. Thaddeus Stevens, 1 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs. Dean, Noon
Oct. 9 vs. Keystone, Noon
Oct. 23 vs. Alfred St., 1 p.m. (Homecoming/Senior Day)
