Oct. 13, 2005

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Senior linebacker Brian Hulea (Canfield, Ohio) has been added to the "watch" list for the Buck Buchanan Award, the Sports Network announced yesterday. The Buck Buchanan Award is presented annually to the top defensive player in I-AA football.

Hulea is one of 32 players currently on the watch list for the Walter Payton Award (top offensive player) or the Buck Buchanan Award. Through the first five games of the season, Hulea leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in tackles with 59. In addition, he has two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 2.5 tackles for loss.

In his prolific career with the Wildcats, Hulea currently has 355 career tackles, which ranks as the most of any active player in the Atlantic 10. With 45 more tackles, he would become the third player in Villanova history to record 400 career tackles. Curtis Eller (1989-92) owns the school record for career tackles with 429, while Shaun Lyons is second with 410.

The Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Awards will be presented at the 19th Annual I-AA College Football Awards on Thursday, December 15 in Chattanooga, Tennessee on the eve of the 2005 I-AA National Championship. The Eddie Robinson Award, honoring I-AA's top coach, and the Sports Network Cup, bestowed upon the nation's best I-AA mid-major program, will also be presented on December 15.

Hulea was one of six new players added to the Buchanan watch list this week. The others were Jeff Charleston (Idaho State), Brent Hawkins (Illinois State), Marques Murrell (Appalachian State), Zak DeOssie (Brown) and Chad Nkang (Elon).

Villanova returns to action on the road this Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest at Bucknell.