UVa Announces Spring Football Award Winners/Captains

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Charlottesville, VA – Prior to the start of Saturday’s annual Spring Football game, Virginia coach Mike London announced the recipients of the team’s spring football awards and the team captains for the 2010 season.

Terence Fells-Danzer (Culpeper, Va.) and Aaron Taliaferro (Gloucester, Va.) were named the Rock Weir Award winners as the most improved players during spring drills.

Fells-Danzer moved to fullback this spring after playing linebacker his first three seasons at UVa. He earned his first letter last season, playing primarily on special teams. He had two tackles. Fells-Danzer will be a junior in 2010.

Taliaferro is a middle linebacker in UVa’s new 4-3 defensive scheme. He has appeared in three games over the past two seasons but has no tackles. He will be a junior in 2010.

Wide receiver Tim Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) was the recipient of the Z Society Dudley Award presented to the first-year player for his excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community. The award is named after the late “Bullet” Bill Dudley, who exemplified those traits and was a two-time All-American at Virginia.

The winner of the Cavalier Academic Achievement Award was junior cornerback Chase Minnifield (Lexington, Ky.). The award is presented to a UVa student-athlete who represents Uncompromised Excellence in his academic pursuits.

Junior defensive tackle Nick Jenkins (Westminster, Md.) won the team’s Iron Cavalier award for his performance and dedication in the weight room. Jenkins played in all 12 games last season and registered 12 tackles.

The team captains for the 2010 season are senior defensive tackle John-Kevin Dolce (Bayshore, N.Y), senior cornerback Ras-I Dowling (Chesapeake, Va.), junior defensive tackle Nick Jenkins (Westminster, Md.), senior tight end Joe Torchia (Cold Spring, N.Y.) and senior quarterback Marc Verica (Lansdowne, Pa.)

Virginia opens its 2010 season on Sept. 4 at home against Richmond.