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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Zeuli Wins Top Defensive Honor, Earns Princeton's 3rd Straight Bushnell Cup
December 08, 2014 | Football
Seated right next to the reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, Harvard's Zack Hodges, Princeton senior linebacker Mike Zeuli probably expected that the 2014 honor would come down to a very close vote. He couldn't have been more correct; both players split the votes, which puts Zeuli's name with the elite class in the history of Ivy League football.
Mike Zeuli was named a co-winner of the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Award. He shared the award wtih Hodges at a ceremony Monday afternoon at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
"It's definitely a team award," Zeuli, a 2014 co-captain, said afterwards. "My teammates, my coaches, everybody put me in a place to succeed individually, and I really thank them. I really owe them a lot for any success that I've had."
A defensive back-turned-linebacker, Zeuli led the Ivy League with 16.5 tackles for loss, ranked second with 8.7 tackles per game and tied for fifth in sacks with four. He had 16 tackles in his final collegiate game, which moved him over the 200-tackle mark for his career. He anchored a Tiger defensive unit that finished the regular season second in the conference and eighth nationally in rushing defense.
One of only four defensive players to earn unanimous first-team All-Ivy distinction this season, Zeuli ranked 12th nationally with an average of 1.8 tackles for loss per game this season. He had double-digit tackles in four of Princeton's last seven games averaged 13 tackles per game against the top three teams in the standings.
He is the third Princeton football player to earn the Bushnell Cup over the last three seasons, joining 2012 Defensive Player of the Year Mike Catapano and 2013 Offensive Player of the Year Quinn Epperly, who was part of a considerable Princeton contingent at the Waldorf-Astoria to support Zeuli Monday.
"His sheer will, determination and effort … we're very lucky, from Mike Catapano to Caraun Reid and Quinn Epperly, to Mike, they do things right," head coach Bob Surace said. "Mike does things full speed. He only knows one speed, and the only way to go less than that speed is to take him out. In practice, drills, meetings, he's just all in with everything he does. I'm just so proud of him."
Zeuli was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection this year after being a second-team selection as a junior, when he helped Princeton to the Ivy League championship.
"He's something else. He has a motor that doesn't quit," said senior quarterback Connor Michelsen, who was also in attendance Monday. "He works his tail off everyday, and everything he does is 100 percent. He's the best football player I've ever played against in my life. In spring ball, when it's more like playing against yourself, he was a nightmare to play against."
Zeuli is the ninth Princeton player to be bestowed with the Bushnell Cup, following Walt Snickenberger (1974), Jason Garrett (1988), Judd Garrett (1989), Keith Elias (1993), Dave Patterson (1995), Jeff Terrell (2006), Mike Catapano (2012) and Quinn Epperly (2013). He is just the fifth linebacker in Ivy League history to receive the award and just the second Tiger playing that position to do so, joining Patterson.
Zeuli shared the award with Hodges, who led the Ivy League in sacks and graduates as Harvard's career leader.
Yale's Tyler Varga won the Offensive Player of the Year award.