NEW YORK (Dec. 11, 2023) – Yale senior quarterback Nolan Grooms and Penn senior defensive lineman Joey Slackman were announced as the Asa S. Bushnell Cup recipients Monday afternoon at a press conference at the famed New York Athletic Club. The reception was sponsored by the Bruin Capital and co-hosted by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame.
For the second consecutive year, Grooms was named Offensive Player of the Year – making him the sixth ever student-athlete to earn the Bushnell Cup twice – while Slackman was voted Defensive Player of the Year.
Gooms led the league with 22 passing touchdowns. The Lake Wylie, S.C., native accumulated 2,451 yards of total offense with 1,863 through the air and 588 on the ground, leading the Bulldogs to another Ivy title. He had six games with a rush of at least 20 yards and a pass of 30 yards.
Slackman led Penn’s defensive unit, which ranked 13th in the FCS in total defense and permited just 304 yards per game. The Commack, N.Y., native totaled 12.0 tackles for a loss and four sacks. He finished the season with 50 total tackles. He was ranked the third best interior defensive line in all of college football by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Grooms and Slackman were selected as Bushnell Cup finalists, alongside Brown senior receiver Wes Rockett and Dartmouth senior defensive lineman Charles Looes.
ASA S. BUSHNELL CUP HISTORY
Presented annually since 1970, The Asa S. Bushnell Cup honors its namesake, a 1921 Princeton alumnus and the commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference from 1938 to 1970. The Bushnell Cup is awarded by a vote of the Ivy League’s eight head football coaches to the players who display outstanding qualities of leadership, competitive spirit, contribution to the team and accomplishments on the field.
From 1970 to 2010, the Bushnell Cup recognized an Ivy League Player of the Year (or co-Players of the Year if there was a tie in voting). Beginning with the 2010 season, the award was presented as part of the festivities surrounding the NFF Annual Awards Dinner with four finalists named a week prior to the presentation. Beginning with the 2011 season, the award began recognizing Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, honoring each as a recipient of the Bushnell Cup. Two offensive finalists and two defensive finalists are named, and the Players of the Year are unveiled at the presentation.
All-Time Recipient List
1970 – Jim Chasey, QB, Dartmouth & Ed Marinaro, RB, Cornell
1971 – Ed Marinaro††, RB, Cornell
1972 – Dick Jauron†††, RB, Yale
1973 – Jim Stoeckel, QB, Harvard
1974 – Walt Snickenberger, RB, Princeton
1975 – Doug Jackson, RB, Columbia
1976 – John Pagliaro, RB, Yale
1977 – John Pagliaro, RB, Yale
1978 – Buddy Teevens, QB, Dartmouth
1979 – Tim Tumpane, LB, Yale
1980 – Kevin Czinger†, MG, Yale
1981 – Rich Diana†, RB, Yale
1982 – John Witkowski, QB, Columbia
1983 – Derrick Harmon, RB, Cornell
1984 – Tim Chambers, DB, Penn
1985 – Tom Gilmore†, DT, Penn
1986 – Rich Comizio, RB, Penn
1987 – Kelly Ryan, QB, Yale
1988 – Jason Garrett, QB, Princeton
1989 – Judd Garrett, RB, Princeton
1990 – Shon Page, RB, Dartmouth
1991 – Al Rosier, RB, Dartmouth
1992 – Jay Fiedler, QB, Dartmouth
1993 – Keith Elias†, RB, Princeton
1994 – Pat Goodwillie, LB, Penn
1995 – Dave Patterson, LB, Princeton
1996 – Chad Levitt, RB, Cornell
1997 – Sean Morey, WR, Brown
1998 – Jim Finn, RB, Penn
1999 – James Perry, QB, Brown
2000 – Gavin Hoffman, QB, Penn
2001 – Carl Morris, WR, Harvard
2002 – Carl Morris, WR, Harvard
2003 – Mike Mitchell, QB, Penn
2004 – Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Harvard
2005 – Nick Hartigan†, RB, Brown
2006 – Jeff Terrell, QB, Princeton
2007 – Mike McLeod, RB, Yale
2008 – Chris Pizzotti, QB, Harvard
2009 – Buddy Farnham, WR, Brown & Jake Lewko, LB, Penn
2010 – Gino Gordon, RB, Harvard & Nick Schwieger, RB, Dartmouth
2011 – Offensive Player of the Year: Jeff Mathews†, QB, Cornell
Defensive Player of the Year: Josue Ortiz, DT, Harvard
2012 – Offensive Player of the Year: Colton Chapple, QB, Harvard
Defensive Player of the Year: Mike Catapano, DL, Princeton
2013 – Offensive Player of the Year: Quinn Epperly, QB, Princeton
Defensive Player of the Year: Zack Hodges, DE, Harvard
2014 – Offensive Player of the Year: Tyler Varga†, RB, Yale
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Zack Hodges, DE, Harvard & Mike Zeuli, LB, Princeton
2015 – Offensive Player of the Year: Scott Hosch, QB, Harvard
Defensive Player of the Year: Tyler Drake, LB, Penn
2016 – Offensive Player of the Year: John Lovett, QB, Princeton
Defensive Player of the Year: Folarin Orimolade, LB, Dartmouth
2017 – Offensive Player of the Year: Chad Kanoff, QB, Princeton
Defensive Player of the Year: Matthew Oplinger, LB, Yale
2018 – Offensive Player of the Year: John Lovett, QB, Princeton
Defensive Player of the Year: Isiah Swann, DB, Dartmouth
2019 – Offensive Player of the Year: Kurt Rawlings, QB, Yale
Defensive Player of the Year: Jack Traynor, LB, Dartmouth
2021 – Offensive Player of the Year: EJ Perry, QB, Brown
Defensive Player of the Year: Jeremiah Tyler, LB, Princeton
2022 – Offensive Player of the Year: Nolan Grooms, QB, Yale
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Liam Johnson, LB, Princeton & Truman Jones, DL, Harvard
Player of the Year Finalists
2010 – Trey Peacock, WR, Princeton & Billy Ragone, QB, Penn
2011 – Erik Rask, LB, Penn & Nick Schwieger, RB, Dartmouth
2012 – Jeff Mathews, QB, Cornell & AJ Cruz, DB, Brown
2013 – John Spooney, RB, Brown & Caraun Reid, DL, Princeton
2014 – Dalyn Williams, QB, Dartmouth
2015 – Will McNamara, LB, Dartmouth & Justin Watson, WR, Penn
2016 – Kurt Holuba, DL, Princeton & Justin Watson, WR, Penn
2017 – Richard Jarvis, DL, Brown, Nick Miller, LB, Penn & Justin Watson, WR, Penn
2018 – Stone Hart, DL, Harvard & Jesper Horsted, WR, Princeton
2019 – EJ Perry, QB, Brown & Jeremiah Tyler, LB, Princeton
2021 – Derek Kyler, QB, Dartmouth & Jordan Hill, LB, Harvard
2022 – Aidan Borguet, RB, Harvard
2023 – Wes Rockett, WR, Brown & Charles Looes, DL, Dartmouth
† NFF National Scholar-Athlete
†† College Football of Fame Inductee
††† NFF National Scholar-Athlete and a College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
ABOUT BRUIN CAPITAL
Bruin Capital was founded in 2015 by George Pyne, a Brown University graduate, and All-Ivy League Offensive Lineman for the then-Bruins. Bruin is the only global investment firm specializing in sports, and its portfolio of companies operates worldwide, with thousands of employees and offices on four continents. They connect millions of consumers to sports via emerging technologies, original content, live events, platforms, gaming, and premium experiences on behalf of more than 500 blue chip federations, leagues, brands, and rights holders.
ABOUT THE IVY LEAGUE
The Ivy League stands at the pinnacle of higher education and Division I athletics, rooted in the longstanding, defining principle that intercollegiate athletics competition should be “kept in harmony with the essential educational purposes of the institution.” The League’s world-renowned schools – Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale – serve as the standard bearers for inspiring and transforming student-athletes to boldly take on the world’s challenges and lead lives of great impact. For more information, please visit IvyLeague.com.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the criteria, selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation & Hatchell Cup presented by the Original Bob’s Steak & Chop House; and a series of programs and initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Bruin Capital, Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Hanold Associates Executive Search, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter@NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
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