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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Football Elects 2005 Captains To End Spring Campaign
April 25, 2005 | Football
April 25, 2005
PRINCETON - Junior linebacker Justin Stull and offensive tackle Ben Brielmaier were elected captains for the 136th season of Princeton football, it was announced by head coach Roger Hughes following a pleasing spring season. His squad, which will return several starters at key positions, will need several younger players to step up this fall, and he got an idea about some of those players over the last three weeks.
Before getting Hughes' thoughts about the spring, he discussed the two young men that will serve the biggest, but not only, leadership roles for the 2005 season.
"Justin is the first two-time captain of Princeton football in a very long time," he said. "It speaks to his leadership and his work ethic, and his play on the field has been among the best in the league over the last two seasons. Ben made the move over to the offense before last season, and it has been his work ethic and attention to detail that has really earned the kids' respect.
"I have talked to the upcoming senior class and emphasized that just because you don't have a 'C' on your chest, it doesn't mean you can't be a leader," Hughes continued. "I am going to stress that with the class during the exit interviews."
Stull is the eighth player in 136 seasons to be named captain twice during his career. The last two-time captain was John Rush (1915 and 1916), and since then there have been 103 players who have served as captain for one season. Stull, a two-time all-league selection who has more tackles over the last two seasons (220) than anybody in the Ivy League, will start at linebacker for a third straight season.
"For me, being elected captain for my senior season is such a huge honor," Stull said. "We have a team of gutsy, hard-working, and disciplined men, so to be elected captain by those people means so much. The expectation for next season is to win an Ivy League title. I think we all feel like we have something to prove and are anxious for the chance to play against some other good teams." Brielmaier doesn't have the gaudy stats of Stull, but his move from the defensive line to the offensive line during the 2004 preseason was a critical one for the early success of the Tigers. After starting at defensive tackle in 2003, the coaching staff moved him across the line and he responded by earning the starting position and never looking back. Barring injury, he will lead an offensive line that will feature five seniors, each of whom has significant starting experience.
"I feel honored to have been elected a captain for the 2005 season and I look forward to being an integral part of winning games next year," Brielmaier said. "As a whole, the team has dedicated itself to developing a winning attitude and work ethic this offseason, and I feel that this will be very visible in our play in the upcoming season. We all look forward to the opportunity to continue our push toward excellence."
They were named captains after the spring game on April 23, which ended a very positive spring session for Princeton.
GoPrincetonTigers.com will continue its coverage of the 2005 Princeton spring season with a look at the defense and special teams in the middle of the week, and then the offense at the end of the week.