Moon Township, Pa. - Senior linebacker Chad Wengert (Kempton, Pa. / Kutztown) of the Robert Morris University football team was named the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year Tuesday in a vote by league head coaches, while a total of six Colonials were named to either the All-NEC First Team or All-NEC Second Team.
Wengert becomes just the second Colonial in school history to be named NEC Defensive Player of the Year in the league's 12-year history, joining former middle linebacker James Noel (2002-05), who was bestowed the honor in 2004. In 2007 Wengert finished with 112 tackles, good enough to rank third in the league. His average of 11.2 tackles per game established a new RMU single-season record, while he became just the third player in school history to finish with at least 100 takedowns in a season. Wengert also added three sacks, two interceptions, four pass breakups, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 2007. He finished his career at Robert Morris with 260 tackles, good enough to rank sixth all-time.
Wengert was one of two Colonials named to the All-NEC First Team, as he was joined by senior defensive back Mike Niklos (Columbus, Ohio / Bishop Watterson). In 2007 Niklos finished with 46 tackles and 11 pass breakups while tying for team-high honors in interceptions with three. A four-year starter at cornerback and two-time All-NEC honoree, Niklos finished his career with 16 interceptions. That total was good enough to tie the Northeast Conference record originally established by Chris Blackshear (2001-03) of Central Connecticut State as well as rank second in the Robert Morris career annals behind former defensive back Brian Dunn, who recorded 19 interceptions from 1994 to 1997.
Named to the All-NEC Second Team for Robert Morris are senior center John Steilner (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln), sophomore defensive lineman Mark Szymanski (Cadogan, Pa. / Ford City), freshman punter Nick Schirtzinger (Hurricane, W.Va. / Hurricane) and senior return specialist Mario Hines (Ecorse, Mich. / Ecorse).
Steilner is a two-time All-NEC selection at center for Robert Morris, while Szymanski was honored after finishing with 60 tackles and posting a team-high seven sacks in 2007. Schirtzinger led the NEC by averaging 41.4 yards per punt as a freshman, while Hines averaged 16.3 yards on 17 punt returns and 20.0 yards on 22 kickoff returns. Hines finished the season with 1,188 all-purpose yards to lead the club.
Under the direction of head coach Joe Walton, the only coach in RMU's 14-year history, Robert Morris has claimed five Northeast Conference championships, a pair of I-AA mid-major national championships according to Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette and two ECAC Bowl victories.
