2009 TriState Award Winners

PRESS RELEASE - January 8, 2010 Southampton, PA

Contact: Mark Wolpert
P.O. Box 1255
Southampton, PA  18966
Phone (610) 277-8900
Fax (610) 277-2239
                              e-mail: mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org

Maxwell Football Club President, Ron Jaworski, announced that Matthew Szczur., of Villanova University has been selected as the 2009 Tri-State Player of the Year and the Temple University Head Football Coach Al Golden has been named the Tri-State Coach of the Year. Jaworski also announced that Villanova University Head Football Coach Andy Talley would be presented with Club’s President’s Award in recognition of his accomplishments in leading the Wildcats to the 2009 NCAA National Championship.

Szczur a native of Erma, N.J. was a key contributor to the Wildcats run to the 2009 NCAA Championship. A multidimensional player, Szczur played wide receiver and running back for Villanova. He was also an outstanding kick returner for the Cats. During the 2009 season he rushed 108 times for 826 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a receiver Szczur recorded 51 catches for 610 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also returned 30 kicks for 816 yards and a touchdown. Szczur was named to the Colonial Athletic Association All Conference first team and was also selected as the conference Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year. Villanova Head Coach Andy Talley offered high praise for Szczur, "What can I say about Matt Szczur? He's the best player we've had at Villanova since Brian Westbrook”.

As a high school player at Lower Cape May Regional High School Szczur was honored as one of the Maxwell Football Club’s Mini Max Award winners. He is also a standout baseball player  for Villanova.

Al Golden has just completed his 4th season as the Head Football Coach at Temple University. A Penn State graduate Golden has built an impressive coaching resume with stops at Boston College, Penn State and the University of Virginia. Golden has helped the Owls return to respectability and in 2009 led Temple to a 9-4 record and a berth in the Eagle Bank Bowl vs. UCLA. 

Golden began his coaching career in 1993 as offensive coordinator at Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic High School. He then served as a graduate assistant under George Welsh at Virginia from 1994 to 1996, where he worked primarily with the linebackers and the kickoff and punting teams. He helped develop All- ACC linebackers James Farrior and Jamie Sharper, both of whom were chosen in the 1997 NFL draft. Farrior was a first-round pick (#8) by the New York Jets, while Sharper was a second-round selection (#34) by the Baltimore Ravens. Golden then coached the linebackers at Boston College from 1997 to 1999 under Tom O'Brien. While at BC, Golden coached All-Big East and NFL linebackers Frank Chamberlin (Tennessee Titans) and Erik Storz (Jacksonville Jaguars). The Eagles finished the 1999 regular season with an 8-3 record and a top-25 national ranking, while making their first postseason bowl appearance since 1994.

Villanova head coach Andy Talley just completed his 30th season as a collegiate head coach, including his 25th as the Wildcat leader in 2009. The winningest coach in school history, Talley's record on the Main Line currently stands at an impressive 179-102-1. The Wildcats finished the 2009 campaign with a 14-1 record and defeated Montana in the NCAA Championship Subdivision National Championship game. Talley was recognized by the Maxwell Football Club as the 2008 Tri-State Coach of the Year and has been a long time supporter of the Club’s programs.

Throughout his Main Line career, Talley has guided Villanova to eight NCAA playoff appearances, five conference championships, two Lambert Meadowlands Cup, two ECAC Team of the Year awards and one national semifinal appearance

Away from the football field, Talley is appreciative of the opportunities provided to him through athletics, and is continually looking to give something back to others. The area off the field to which he dedicates most of his time is the National Bone Marrow Foundation. With this group, he works to have potential bone marrow donors entered in a national bone marrow registry, increasing the odds of a needy patient being able to find a "match" for their bone marrow. Since November 1, 1993, he has been responsible for over 11,500 people being tested with the National Marrow Donor Program. This past year, Talley started the "Get In The Game and Save a Life" national bone marrow registration campaign. Talley enlisted 26 college football programs from all levels to take a part in this campaign. The group combined to test 8,022 potential donors.

The Maxwell Football Club will make the formal presentation of these awards at the Club’s National Awards Dinner that will be held at Harrah’s Atlantic City Resort on March 5, 2010. The Club will also present these additional awards at the event:  Maxwell Award (Colt McCoy – University of Texas), Chuck Bednarik Award (Ndamukong Suh – University of Nebraska), and George Munger Award (Gary Patterson - Texas Christian University). T he winners of the Maxwell Football Club’s Professional Player and Coach of the Year Awards will be announced on January 12, 2010.

Tickets for the Maxwell Football Club National Awards are on sale and can be purchased on the Club’s website www.maxwellfootballclub.org or by calling 215-643-3833. 

For more information on the Maxwell Football Club’s awards programs please contact Executive Director Mark Wolpert at mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org or Rob Hoffman Director of Media Relations at rhoffman@maxwellfootballclub.org.