After a season that saw the DePauw Tigers come back from a 0-4 deficit early in the season to finish 4-6, several seniors on the football team were acknowledged for their performances throughout the season.
Senior wide receiver Barry Flynn earned top honors among the team, being awarded Newcomer of the Year by the conference's coaches and being the only player from DePauw selected to the All-North Coast Athletic Conference first team.
"I came in thinking I could make a big impact this year," Flynn said. "I did not think I would get Newcomer of the Year or selected to the all-conference team, I just focused on trying to get better week by week, which I feel I did a pretty good job doing." This is the seniors' third year in a row earning All-NCAC honors, earning them in basketball the previous two seasons.
Flynn finished the season with 71 receptions for 891 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 71 receptions were the most in the NCAC this year and No. 6 in DePauw football history, and is the first player to have that many receptions since Brayden Dahlstrom and Alex Koors had 73 and 86 receptions respectively in 2010. His touchdown total and receiving yards were also tied for first and second in the NCAC respectively.
When asked about what the postseason awards meant to him personally, Flynn kept the team as a whole in mind as he reflected on his postseason awards.
"It is great to get these accolades, but at the same time it was better seeing our team coming back from 0-4 and getting eventually to 4-6, to see our team get better and progress throughout the season."
Two seniors on the team also earned All-NCAC second team honors for the Tigers. Defensive back Dennis Callicutt and running back Nikko Sansone finished out their careers with awards from the conference.
"It is a great feeling, it is definitely an honor," Callicutt said. "Just the fact that you are being recognized for working hard while doing something that you love, it is a great feeling."
Despite being picked for the honorable team, Sansone said his greatest honor was being named captain this year.
"It is probably the best accomplishment I have had in my life up to this point," Sansone said. "You train your whole life playing this sport and for your final year of football to be named captain of your college football team is a huge honor."
Each player also finished lettering each year they played for DePauw. Callicutt lettered all four years, while Sansone lettered all three years he played.
Three other seniors were also honorable mentions for the All-NCAC team. Linebacker Mitch Dwenger, kicker Eric Malm, and tight end Kevin Ude were each acknowledged for their great seasons. All three players along with Callicutt and senior running back Armani Cato ended their careers lettering all four years as DePauw football players.
Players said they will miss the bonding and time spent with teammates. Callicutt summed it up well.
"I would say the small conversations and relationships that you build throughout the season with different individuals during practices or while you are on the road," he said. "Some of my best friends we grew up playing football together, that's how we connected by going through the struggle together. You have a bunch of people from different areas on a team and they start bonding and building relationships. That is hard to find you really cannot find that anywhere else."