Dudley Award finalists named

The finalists for the Dudley Award, given annually to the top Division I college football player in the state of Virginia, are a trio of seniors: Virginia Tech linebacker Cody Grimm, James Madison defensive end Arthur Moats and University of Richmond quarterback Eric Ward.

The winner will be announced Tuesday night at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

An award for the state’s player of the year from Division II, III and NAIA schools also will be handed out. The finalists are Washington and Lee senior defensive end Matt Cassilly, Emory and Henry junior running back Caleb Jennings and Hampden-Sydney junior defensive end Will Riggenbach.

Grimm, a former walk-on, turned himself into the Hokies’ best defensive player. He leads the team with 99 tackles and has 9½ tackles for a loss and three sacks. His seven forced fumbles this season are an Atlantic Coast Conference record and are tied for most in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Moats set a school record this season with 23½ tackles for a loss—most in the Football Championship Subdivision. He also had 11 sacks, one shy of the school record, en route to being named Colonial Athletic Association defensive player of the year. He blocked two kicks and returned a fumble 68 yards for a touchdown.

Ward helped Richmond, the defending FCS national champion, to a 10-1 regular-season record by leading three game-winning drives in the fourth quarter against CAA opponents. He completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 186.7 yards per game, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Among the finalists for smaller-school player of the year, Cassilly was a first-team all-league selection in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference who had 20½ tackles for loss and 10 sacks; Jennings was the ODAC offensive player of the year, thanks to 1,919 all-purpose yards (third in Division III); and Riggenbach was the ODAC defensive player of the year, with 18½ tackles for loss and 14½ sacks.

Also receiving votes for the Dudley Award was William and Mary senior defensive end Adrian Tracy. Two players also got votes for the smaller-schools award: Virginia State senior defensive lineman Brandon Fortune and Southern Virginia senior center Tyler Card.

The Dudley Award, voted on by a panel of journalists, is named for former University of Virginia star and NFL Hall of Famer Bill Dudley, the No. 1 pick in the 1942 NFL Draft. It is sponsored by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Touchdown Club of Richmond.

Tuesday’s awards banquet begins at 7 p.m., with a social hour at 6. Tickets are $40 each or $375 for a 10-person table. For information on how to get them, call Mike O’Toole at 658-8503 or e-mail .

Contact Darryl Slater at (804) 649-6026 or .