LaMontagne Wins Tatum Award

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Nov. 25, 1999

GREENSBORO, NC – University of Virginia offensive lineman Noel LaMontagne hasbeen selected as the recipient of the 1999 Jim Tatum Award, Atlantic CoastConference commissioner John Swofford announced today.

The Tatum Award is given annually in memory of the last Jim Tatum to thetop senior student-athlete among the league’s football players. Tatum, atwo-time ACC Coach of the Year, coached in the 1950s at both Maryland andNorth Carolina and believed strongly in the concept of the student-athlete.

A three-year starter for the Cavaliers, LaMontagne’s achievements reachfrom the classroom to the gridiron. A first-team All-ACC selection a yearago, LaMontagne is bidding to become the first offensive lineman fromVirginia to earn first-team All-ACC honors for two consecutive seasonssince Ray Roberts in 1989-90.

The Coopersburg, Pa., senior carries a 3.081 grade point average, includinga 3.56 GPA in his last two semesters. Graduating with a degree in sociologylast May, LaMontagne is one of the Cavaliers’ tri-captains this season andis competing as a graduate student this season.

He played a major role in helping tailback Thomas Jones set the ACCsingle-season rushing record with 1798 yards this fall. A starter at bothguard and tackle this season, LaMontagne is a mainstay of an offensive linethat keys one of the nation’s most balanced offenses. Virginia averaged191. 5 yards rushing and 211.0 yards passing this season en route to a 7-4record. This marks the 13th consecutive season the Cavaliers have won sevenor more games. They are joined in this exclusive club by Florida State,Michigan and Nebraska.