THE SPORTS NETWORK 2014 FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAM

Philadelphia, PA  – Senior long-snapper Phil Faccone (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) and fifth-year senior cornerback Jarrett Dieudonne (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Dillard), have been named to The Sports Network FCS 2014 All-America Team, with Faccone earning a spot on the Second Team while Dieudonne was tabbed Third-Team All-American.

Faccone's latest honor comes after he was named to The Sports Network 2014 Preseason All-American Second-Team which followed his junior season where he was named to The Sports Network 2013 Third Team. In 2014, Faccone saw action in all 11 games for the Seahawks, helping Wagner compile a 7-4 record and gained a share of the Northeast Conference (NEC) championship.

For Wagner, the 2014 Co-NEC Championship marked the second league title in the last three years as the Seahawks won the 2012 title en route to an appearance in the Division I NCAA Playoffs. Spearheading the Seahawk success this season was a relentless defense that led the NEC in a host of categories this season while also ranking in the NCAA Top 10 in three major categories – Rushing Defense, No. 2 (83.1), Total Defense, No. 6 (281.3) and Scoring Defense, No. 10 (18.0).

For his career, the productive and durable Faccone saw action in 44 games for the Seahawks, including all 11 games in 2014.

In September, Faccone was among an elite group of 22 college football players from across the nation named to the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. This prestigious college football award recognizes and pays tribute to a select group of student-athletes who have worked to positively impact the lives of others. The 22 players honored with this distinct recognition not only dedicated their time to succeeding on the field, but have made a commitment to enriching the lives of others while contributing to the greater good of their communities.

Faccone and the other 21 members of the AFCA  Good Works Team® will be honored at halftime of the 2015 Sugar Bowl that will be played on Thursday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, and serve as a semifinal in the College Football Playoff. The 81st Sugar Bowl will match Alabama and Ohio State with the winner advancing to the College Football Playoff Championship Game. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN and kicks off at 8:30 pm EST. The 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members will also participate in a community event with children from the YMCA of Greater New Orleans

Faccone's boundless community-minded spirit allowed him to become the second Wagner football player to earn on a spot on the AFCA Good Works Team®, as he joins former Seahawk offensive lineman and current assistant coach, Steve Ciocci, in this select group. Named to the 2014 Preseason All-American Team, (link) Faccone becomes just the third representative from a Northeast Conference (NEC) institution to earn a spot on the AFCA Good Works Team®, as University at Albany wide receiver Daniel Bocanegra was named to the 2008 team, followed by Ciocci's selection in 2012.

During his impactful tenure on Grymes Hill, Faccone has directed  and-or participated in a host of several community service initiatives, including Wagner's Annual Bone Marrow Registry Drive and the Crescent Beach Restoration Project, which aids one of the many Staten Island communities devastated by Superstorm Sandy in October, 2012, to name just a few.

Last June, Faccone took part in Lauren's First and Goal Camp (LFG) at Lafayette College, a non-profit organization started in 2004 by John and Marianne Loose in honor of their daughter, Lauren, a 17-year-old pediatric brain tumor survivor. Since its inception, LFG has raised more than $1 million toward its mission to provide financial support for brain tumor research and cancer services.

This latest honor for Dieudonne comes on the heels of being tabbed a 2014 Second-Team Associated Press FCS All-American, which preceded his being named 2014 College Sports Madness (CSM) Second-Team All-American. The Sunshine State native was also one of five Seahawks named First-Team All-Northeast Conference. 

Dieudonne, a fifth-year senior, made his mark both on the NEC and on the national scene this season and delivered his FCS high third interception return for a touchdown in the season's penultimate game vs. Duquesne (11/15) which was his seventh pick overall. Those seven INTs moved him into a fourth-place tie with Hall of Fame member Mike Kelly on the Seahawk single-season list, with Kelly's five pilfers coming in 1965. His seven INTs tied for second in the national FCS rankings. The 6-1, 190-pound Dieudonne finished his sterling Seahawk career with 14 career interceptions, tied for fifth all-time with Wagner and tied for fifth on the NEC all-time list.

While recognized for his ball-hawking abilities, Dieudonne also  evolved into a true "shutdown" corner in 2014. Matched up against the NEC's leading receiver, Tyler Dube of Sacred Heart (72  receptions), the whole game back on Nov. 1, Dieudonne, limited him to one catch for five yards. Against Duquesne, Dieudonne was asked to mark the NEC's No. 3 receiver in Chris King (68 receptions) and held him to two catches for 10 yards. For the season, Dieudonne also had 33 tackles, including four tackles for loss, 17 pass deflections and 10 pass breakups. Dieudonne was a true ironman during his Seahawk career, gaining starting assignments in all 46 games over the past four seasons.

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