December 29, 2000 -- Six Red Fox football members were named All-America by Don Hansens National Weekly Football Gazette.
Offensive lineman Mike Lindberg (New City, NY) and defensive lineman Tom Lennon (Oxford, CT) highlight the NCAA 1-AA Mid-Major All-American Team earning first team honors.
Lindberg, a 2000 First Team All-MAAC selection, was instrumental in helping the Red Foxes to a first place conference ranking in rushing offense (193.0 y/g) and fourth place conference finish in total offense (317.4 y/g) and scoring offense (22.1 p/g). Additionally, the 6-3, 260 senior anchored an offensive line which ended the year ranked 30th in rushing offense among all Division I-AA institutions.
Lennon, a two-time First Team All-MAAC honoree, led the Red Fox defense with 76 tackles (42 solo, 34 assisted) and 8.5 sacks for a loss of 58 yards. The 6-1, 225 senior finished the season second among MAAC players in quarterback sacks and fourth in tackles for loss (14 for 77 yards). The tri-captain also placed his name into the Marist record books after accumulating 21.5 sacks during his career to rank third among all Red Fox defenders.
Seniors Jeremy Smith (Watervliet, NY) and Chris Peckham (Gales Ferry, CT) were also awarded All-America honors picking up Second Team selections.
Smith, a 6-5, 260 offensive lineman, was a integral part of the Marist offensive line which garnered top rankings among MAAC schools in rushing offense, total offense, and scoring offense. A Second Team All-MAAC selection, he helped pave the way for the Red Fox offense to gain 1,929 yards on the ground and 1,244 yards in the air.
Peckham, a 5-11, 185 defensive back, led the Red Fox defense with four interceptions this past season. Serving as one of this years tri-captains, Peckham registered his 100th career tackle and finished the season with 54 total take downs, five tackles for loss, two sacks, and seven pass deflections.
Earning Honorable Mention All-America were seniors Brian Traynor (Lincroft, NJ) and Joe Macchia (Carle Place, NY) and sophomore place kicker Brett Biggs (Bethlehem, PA).
Traynor led all Red Fox receivers with 22 receptions for 368 yards, including three touchdowns. He averaged 16.7 yards per catch and 36.8 yard per game, while reaching over 1,000 yards in his four-year career.
Macchia, a 6-0, 195 defensive back, was a member of the All-MAAC First Team unit, recording 50 tackles on the season. The senior also forced two fumbles, caught three interceptions, and batted down four passes. Macchia also served as the Red Foxes punter, kicking the ball for nearly 2,000, averaging 34.9 per punt to place second among all MAAC players.
Biggs sailed 24 of his 25 extra point attempts through the uprights, while also connecting on three of his six field goal attempts to register 33 points this season. He finished third in the conference in kick scoring, averaging 3.3 points per game. Biggs also tied his own school record with a 42-yard field goal.
Don Hansen's NCAA Division I-AA All-American Teams
