Foxborough, Mass., native honored for first time after two
touchdown weekend
EASTON, Mass. (October 25, 2010) – Stonehill College junior cornerback/return specialist Stephan Neville (Foxborough, Mass./Foxborough) has been named the Northeast-10 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week by the league office today.
Neville, who earns the first year award for the first time, led Stonehill by scoring two of its three touchdowns in Saturday's 45-21 setback to Southern Connecticut State University at W.B. Mason Stadium. He compiled 156 yards on four kick returns (39.0 yds/return), including an 89-yard touchdown on the game's opening kickoff – marking the third straight home game he has returned a kickoff for a score. Neville also cashed in on defense with four tackles (three solo) and a forced fumble, which he recovered and returned 35 yards for a touchdown to put the Skyhawks up 14-7 before the end of the first quarter.
Neville, who has three kickoff returns for touchdowns for the
second year in a row this season and has seven returns for scores
over his career, leads the NE-10 for the second-straight year in
kick return average with 31.2 yards per return and his three
touchdown returns this season lead the country – in fact he
is the lone NE-10 return man with a touchdown run this season. He
has returned 21 kickoffs for 655 yards to go with four punt returns
for seven yards and one interception return for 37 yards for 699
all-purpose yards (10th NE-10). On defense, Neville has
recorded 25 tackles (16 solo) with five passes defended (four
breakups, one interception), the one forced fumble and one fumble
recovery.
Neville, the first player in program history to earn first team All-Northeast-10 honors at two positions as sophomore with his selection as both a corner and return specialist, has played 27 games over his career and returned 60 kicks for 1,991 yards (33.2/return), including two of his seven career touchdown returns for a career-long 94 yards. His first 94-yarder came on the opening kickoff of last year's 23-21 victory over No. 24-ranked Bentley University in the final game of the season. He matched that by taking back the opening kickoff of the second half in week five this season against the University of New Haven. Neville, who also earned All-Northeast-10 honors as a return specialist and a spot on the All-Rookie Team as a freshman, led all of Division II when he averaged 36.7 yards per return his sophomore season.
Neville has totaled 115 tackles (78 solo) over his career on defense for Stonehill, posting 2.5 career tackles for a loss, ten interceptions with another 15 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Stonehill (3-4, 1-4 NE-10) is back in action next Saturday when it travels to Manchester, N.H., for the annual "Battle for the Ol' Bronze Hawk" at Saint Anselm College at noon. The Skyhawks return home the following weekend, Saturday, November 3, to host Assumption College on Senior Day and Easton Appreciation Day at noon.