Thousands of athletes have represented the University of Delaware on athletic teams since the late 19th century, when, as their nickname urges, the Blue Hens first began Fightin’ for victories.
Now well into the 21st century, we’ve decided it’s time to pick out the best 100 from that flock.
Doing so was not easy. In recent years, Delaware Online and The News Journal have produced rankings of UD’s top all-time 100 football players and its best 50 men’s basketball players, as well as the premier 50 female Blue Hens to tie in with the 50-year anniversary of Delaware’s women’s sports program.
This list tries to single out the best 100 UD male athletes ever in all sports, from those in which the Blue Hens have made significant achievements, such as football, baseball and lacrosse, to those less heralded, such as swimming, soccer and golf.
Certainly, there are likely 100 more who may have warranted inclusion.
There will be some very familiar names, but also a few that likely may not ring a bell. Be sure, however, that the sporting contributions of all were substantial and noteworthy.
The Top 100 all-time Blue Hens:
100-Vic Willis: At some point, Newark native Willis played for what was then Delaware College, though perhaps for just a season in the 1890s, and there is no record of what he did. But he belongs on this list by virtue of being inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 after winning 249 games and completing 388 in 13 National League seasons from 1898-1910.
99-Mike Koplove: Koplove went 5-1 with a 4.60 ERA in nine games, with eight starts, for Delaware’s 43-win NCAA 1998 qualifiers in his one season. He then pitched in relief in 222 big-league games, all but five with Arizona, and won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics.
98-Roberto Gimenez: The Spaniard keyed Delaware’s rise to soccer prominence with 17 goals and 16 assists from 2011-13 in a career cut short by knee injuries.
97-Bilal Nichols: The defensive tackle out of Hodgson Vo-Tech was a three-time All-CAA pick, including first team as a senior in 2017. Nichols had 104 career tackles, with 17½ for lost yardage, in 44 games. He also had three forced fumbles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and several blocked kicks. He has started 49 games in four seasons with the Chicago Bears and is now beginning his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
96-Grady Carter: Speedy swimmer still holds UD 50 freestyle mark of 20.11 set in 2010. Carter swam on 400 freestyle relay teams that won four straight CAA titles from 2008-11 and also on 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams that were CAA winners. His times remain among the UD top 10 in four freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke events.
95-Reid Gorecki: The outfielder led the Blue Hens with a .414 average in 2002 while hitting a team-best 12 home runs. He also stole 76 career bases, No. 3 all-time at Delaware. A 13th-round draft pick by the Cardinals, Gorecki had 27 big-league plate appearances with the Braves in 2009.
94-Eddie McCreary: When the track and field program was axed in 2012 McCreary still held the UD record at 10.33 for 100 meters and 21.00 for 200 meters run in 1980. The Brandywine High grad qualified for and ran in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 100 meters, and also qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1980.
93-Jeff Smith: Starring as a shortstop from 1978-81, Smith is among the all-time top Hens in every offensive category, including total bases (fourth, 436), hits (5th, 266), homers (sixth, 35) and RBI (sixth, 188) and runs (seventh, 199). He batted a career .378.
92-Matt Phillips: His 33 career wins are tied for the school’s baseball record, and included a 20-1 mark over his junior and senior seasons. The Seaford grad led the Blue Hens with an ERA of 2.25 in 1997 and 3.25 in 1998. Phillips struck out 235 in his UD career, fifth all-time, no-hit Hofstra in 1997 and pitched two years in the Red Sox chain.
91-Dave Sysko: The Salesianum graduate averaged 23.9 points per game, which remains the school record, for the 1963-64 Blue Hens as a senior. His 19.2 career scoring average is third best all-time among Blue Hens. The 6-5 Sysko finished his career (1961-64) with 1,269 points, then a school record but now No. 15 all-time. His 45 points in his final collegiate game at Lafayette is the No. 2 single-game total in UD history. He also averaged 9.5 rebounds per game for his career.
90-Chad Kuhl: The Middletown High grad’s 10-2 record and 3.75 ERA his junior year in 2013 caught the attention of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who drafted him in the ninth round. Kuhl had struck out 76 in 105 2/3 innings. By 2016, Kuhl had cracked the Bucs’ starting rotation, and he is now pitching for the Colorado Rockies.
89-Oscar Jones: The 6-3 guard finished his career (1982-86) No. 2 on the all-time UD basketball scoring chart with 1,387 points. He averaged 16.51 ppg for his career and 20.2 as a senior, which led the East Coast Conference and is the ninth highest single-season measure in school history. He had 35 points in a 1986 game versus Lafayette.
88-Tom Stanziale: Lacrosse attackman wrapped up his career in 1992 by being named a second-team USILA All-American and North Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Stanziale was a three-time first-team all-conference selection who had 107 career goals and 39 assists.
87-Scott Brunner: Brunner was a first-team All-American quarterback while leading Delaware to the NCAA Division II title and a 13-1 record in 1979. He threw for 2,401 yards and 24 TDs, tied for the third highest in a UD season. Brunner played in 73 NFL games, including 30 starts for the New York Giants.
86-Al Broadhag: Broadhag was Delaware’s first baseball All-American when he batted .420, tops in the East, in 1952. The catcher hit at a .650 clip over the last 10 games for the 13-6-2 Hens. He also starred as a lineman on the football team.
85-Vern Roberts: Another Wing-T halfback who terrorized opposing defenses, Roberts rushed for 2,760 yards, No. 5 on the Blue Hens’ career chart, from 1972-74. His 76.6-yard per-game rushing average is No. 6 all-time at Delaware and he had 11 100-yard games.
84-George Caruso: Caruso was a big, rugged defender on the UD soccer team from 1975-78 who was an All-Region honoree ever year, including being a first-team pick his junior and senior years. He was also a second-team All-American as a senior and a three-time All-East Coast Conference choice.
83-Brian McKenna: McKenna was the middle linebacker as a senior on Delaware’s 12-2 NCAA semifinal team in 2000 and earned first-team All-America. His 341 tackles are No. 8 on UD all-time chart and include 34 1/2 for lost yardage.
82-Herb Orensky: Reliable catcher led Delaware with 13 homers in 1978 and 15 in 1979, when he was ECC Player of the Year and first-team All-American. Also a standout safety on football team and reached Triple-A in Phillies’ farm system.
81-Evans Frimpong: Speedy forward was first-team All-Region pick and second-team All-American after being CAA soccer Player of the Year in 2011. He had 12 goals, the most by a Blue Hen since 1982, and five assists that season.
80-Mike DiGennaro: DiGennaro’s career culminated in him becoming the Blue Hens’ first IC4A cross country champion in 2000 when he ran the Van Cortlandt Park 5-mile course in New York City in a record 24:52.40. DiGennaro also finished third twice at the America East Championships and was 17th in the NCAA Regional. He was America East indoor track champion at 5,000 meters and runner-up at 3,000 meters in 2000 and set the UD 3,000 mark of 8:21.41. Outdoors, he was America East champ in the 5,000 and 3,000 steeplechase, which he later ran at the 2004 Olympic Trials.
79-Justin Martinson: Martinson won the CAA Golf Tournament in 2010 and then tied for 13th at the NCAA Regionals. He was also medalist at the George Washington Invitational, Lafayette Invitational, Fall Lincoln Mercury/Seton Hall Intercollegiate and 2010 Delaware/Rehoboth Beach Spring Invitational.
78-Shawn Johnson: The Duke transfer made his one Delaware season among the best in school history. The defensive end sparked Delaware to the NCAA Division I-AA title in 2003, earning first-team All-America honors while getting 13 1/2 sacks and a school record 26 tackles for lost yardage.
77-Don Swan: Swan was a second-team lacrosse All-American in 1950-51 and led the nation with 65 goals as a senior. He set national and still-standing UD records with 14 goals in a game and 65 in a season. He scored 127 career goals.
76-Jamie Wilson: The Dickinson High grad’s expert control led him to 33 career wins, which are tied for the school record, as are his six shutouts. Wilson posted a 1.55 ERA as a senior in 1995. His 23 complete games rank third.
75-Sidney Haugabrook: Haugabrook was one of the top cornerbacks in UD history as well as its second most productive returnman. He returned two of his 12 interceptions for touchdowns. Haugabrook also netted 937 yards and three touchdowns on punt returns and 1,779 yards and one TD on kick retrurns. He also started a UD record 51 games.
74-Nate Beasley: The powerful Wing-T fullback trampled defenders while gaining 2,697 yards, No. 6 all-time at UD, from 1973-75 after a transfer from Delaware State. His 1,397 ground yards in 1974 are fifth best in a UD season.
73-Carlos Alonso: The Californian transferred to Delaware after two years at Santa Barbara City College and became one of the Hens’ all-time best. Alonso, a third baseman, batted a career .385, smacked 20 homers and stole 20 bases. His 32-game hitting streak is the school record. Alonso reached Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies’ organization.
72-Kenny Bailey: Lake Forest High graduate Bailey was a big-play threat at safety for Delaware. His 408 career return yards on interceptions from 1993-96 are the school record and include three TD runbacks. His 414 tackles are the most by a UD defensive back.
71-Mike Renna: Two-time first-team All-American defensive end had 16 tackles for lost yardage as a senior, giving him 37 for his career.
70-Rich Mills: The two-time honorable mention lacrosse All-American became all-time UD leader in goals (106), assists (124) and points (230) from 1974-77. He led the nation with 47 assists and 75 points as a sophomore and was a three-time first-team All-ECC choice.
69-Nasir Adderley: Defensive back started all 45 games during his four Delaware seasons, the first two at cornerback and the last two at safety. He finished his career with 265 tackles and 11 interceptions, including one for a TD, and also had a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Adderley was the 60th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Chargers, the second highest UD player ever chosen after Joe Flacco.
68-Pat Devlin: The Penn State transfer was Delaware’s quarterback in 2009 and 2010, sparking the Hens to the NCAA finals as a senior, when he was All-American. His 3,032 yards passing that season are No. 3 on the all-time UD list and his 5,696 career passing yards rank sixth. Only Flacco averaged more than Devlin’s 227.8 yards per game passing. His 66.1 career completion percentage is the school record.
67-Warren McIntire: The free safety is the only Blue Hen to intercept three passes in a game twice — against UMass in 1991 and Towson in 1992. He had 17 in his career from 1989-92, and made first-team All-American as a senior.
66-Brian Pearl: The versatile guard played the point for Delaware’s NCAA basketball tourney qualifiers in 1992, when he was North Atlantic Conference rookie of the year, and 1993 when the Hens reached the Big Dance again before moving to shooting guard his final two seasons. Pearl ranks No. 8 on the all-time UD scoring list with 1,532 points and fourth in assists with 501.
65-Dave Ferrell: Hard-nosed defender was a second-team All-American on UD soccer teams in 1976 and 1977, when he had nine goals and six assists, after being named East Coast Conference Player of the Year both seasons. Ferrell was a four-time All-ECC pick. He was also a hard-throwing pitcher on the baseball team.
64-Courtney Batts: Batts had 3,522 receiving yards and 27 TDs, both No. 2 all-time at Delaware, while hauling in 179 passes from 1994-97.
63-Jawan Carter: After becoming Delaware’s all-time leading high school boys scorer at Tatnall, the 5-11 guard went to Saint Joseph’s before transferring to Delaware after his freshman year. In three UD seasons from 2008-11, Carter scored 1,542 points, No. 6 all-time among Blue Hens, made 19 straight foul shots in a 2009 game, had a career free-throw percentage of 81.0 and was twice All-CAA.
62-Mike Biggs: Soccer standout from 1968-70 set UD goal-scoring records that stood until recently. Biggs sparked Delaware to NCAA regional berths in 1968 and 1970 while setting school marks for goals in a season (17) and career (47) and points in a career (99). One of just two Blue Hens to score four goals in a game. He was a two-time All-Region pick and played professionally.
61-Nate Darling: The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native set a UD single-season mark by making 107 3-pointers in 2019-20, his lone season with the Blue Hens after transferring from UAB. Darling was first-team All-CAA after averaging 21.0 points per game, which ranked 18th nationally. His 672 points were seven shy of the school single-season record. He declared for NBA Draft and became first and only Blue Hen to appear in an NBA game with Charlotte Hornets.
60-Matt Morrill: Defensive end tops the Blue Hens’ career sack chart with 30 from 1990-93. His 46 tackles for loss also is tied for the school record. Morrill was a two-time first-team All-American.
59-Lee Martin: Martin swam to 10 career conference titles from 1985-89, still the UD standard, while sparking the Blue Hens to two East Coast Conference team titles. He was named the ECC meet’s Outstanding Performer as a senior after winning four titles, placed seventh in the 100 breaststroke at the Eastern Seaboard Championships and qualified for the U. S. Senior Nationals, a first for a Blue Hen. He also set four school records.
58-John Gordon: The 5-10 guard out of St. Mark’s returned home after two basketball seasons at America East rival Maine and sparked Delaware to the America East title and NCAA tourney in 1999 and NIT berth in 2000. Gordon’s 43.0 shooting percentage on 3-pointers is the best in UD history. His 46.2 3-point percentage in 1998-99 is the single-season UD standard. As a junior, he was first-team All-America East and conference tournament MVP.
57-Shaun Prendergast: One of only two golf All-Americans in UD history, Prendergast was a third-team selection in 1977. He was also 1975 ECC champion and won the 1978 EIGA Eastern title shooting a record 70-70—140.
56-Jordan Hall: Canadian midfielder was the centerpiece of Delaware’s lacrosse success from 2004-07, when the Blue Hens reached two NCAA tournaments including the 2007 Final Four. He had 85 goals and 54 assists in his career, scoring in an NCAA record three seconds into a game vs. Albany in 2005. Hall was CAA Player of the Year as a sophomore and a two-time honorable mention All-American.
55-Hans Gillan: The Georgia transfer remains Delaware’s most accomplished Colonial Athletic Association swimmer. He won the conference 100 butterfly in 2009 and 2010, when he also doubled with a 100 backstroke title. Gillan also anchored championship 400 freestyle relays in 2009 and 2010 and led off the victorious 200 medley relay foursome in 2010. He still owns school marks in the 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle from 2009, the oldest still standing.
54-Paul Worrilow: The Concord High graduate came as a football walk-on in 2009 after one junior college red-shirt season. He quickly earned a starting spot, helped spark the 2010 NCAA finalist’s defense and became a captain and All-American. Worrilow’s 377 tackles are No. 5 all-time at Delaware with 33 1/2 for lost yardage. As an undrafted free agent, he became a starter and one of NFLs leading tacklers with Atlanta and played 76 pro games.
53-Alexander Coles: Rim-rattling 6-6 low-post stalwart keyed Delaware’s unbeaten North Atlantic Conference run in 1992 that netted the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth. He is No. 8 on UD all-time scoring list with 1,471 points, 10th with 711 rebounds and sixth with 107 blocked shots. His 146 dunks are the school career record. Coles had a career field-goal aim of 52.2 percent.
52-Oscar Mestre: Mestre won the 1981 East Coast Conference golf title with a tournament record score and was a two-time NCAA All-American, the only UD golfer who can make that claim. He was second in the ECC and EIGA Eastern championships in 1980.
51-Jamelle Hagins: The 6-foot-9 Hagins became Delaware’s all-time leading rebounder and shot-blocker while pulling down 1,078 rebounds and blocking 292 shots from 2009-13. His 23 rebounds vs. Lafayette in 2012 is tied for No. 7 on the UD single-game list. He averaged 2.4 blocks per game for his career, a UD best. Hagins finished with 1,184 career points and had 36 career double-doubles.
50-Jeff Dumansky: Delaware’s lone NCAA qualifier in men’s tennis in 1974, Dumansky was three-time ECC first singles champion and also won a pair of ECAC regional titles. He had career record of 31-5 in singles and 29-6 in doubles.
49-Mike Adams: Captain of Delaware’s 2003 NCAA title team who, from his safety spot, led that squad with four interceptions, among 11 in career. Adams signed as an undrafted free agent by the 49ers and began his NFL career on the San Francisco practice squad before a mid-season move to the 53-man roster in 2004. Adams went on to play 16 NFL seasons covering 228 games with 149 starts, appear in the Super Bowl with the Broncos, two Pro Bowls with the Colts, and finish with 30 career interceptions and 935 tackles.
48-John McCloskey: One of Delaware’s last great two-sport male athletes, 1979 graduate McCloskey ranks third on the UD all-time soccer scoring chart with 82 points (35 goals/12 assists) and fifth on lacrosse’s list with 204 (87 goals/117 assists). He was a two-time All-Region honoree in soccer and a four-time first-team all-conference pick in lacrosse.
47-Brian August: The third baseman out of St. Mark’s batted .432 with a UD single-season record 82 RBI and 20 homers, also a record at the time, in 1997. He’d tied the school mark the previous year with 72 RBI. August batted .381 for his career and also set a then-UD mark with 71 doubles. Played three seasons in Yankees system and has now served a long stint as Wilmington University coach.
46-Taurence Chisholm: The 5-foot-6 point guard dealt an astonishing 877 assists from 1984-88, putting him among the top 20 playmakers in the NCAA since then. His career average of 8.0 assists per game ranks fifth in NCAA history, and featured an 8.5 average for the 1985-86 season. He had 14 in a game three times. His four single-season totals are the four highest in UD history, topped by his 231 assists as a sophomore. Chisholm is also Delaware’s career steals leader with 298, he scored 1,159 career points and was a 38.8-percent 3-point shooter.
45-Anthony DiMarzo: One of just three UD lacrosse three-time All-Americans, DiMarzo was North Atlantic Conference Rookie of the Year in 1992 and its Player of the Year in 1994 and 1995. He scored 98 career goals and set the UD career marks for assists (153) and points (251). He was second in the nation in scoring as a senior with a school-record 78 points (39 goals/ 39 assists).
44-Mike Bourne: The St. Mark’s High grad is Delaware’s lone three-time qualifier to the NCAA Golf Championships. He was ECC Tournament champion in 1976, finished third in 1977 and second in 1978 and set a school record for lowest stroke average in a season (76.19).
43-David Whitcraft: The 1984 graduate was a two-time All-American soccer goalkeeper. The 6-foot-5 Whitcraft set UD records for saves in a game (17), season (162) and career (441) and had 20 career shutouts while allowing just 65 goals in 57 career games. He was three-time All-Region and earned ECC West Section Player of the Year as a junior.
42-Mark Murray: The 6-foot-4 guard was a two-time first-team all-conference pick who climbed to No. 2 on the UD scoring chart while sparking Delaware to its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1992 and finishing with 1,559 points (now No. 6 on the list) from 1988-92. Murray scored 37 points in a 1991 game against Drexel. For his career, Murray made 42.4 percent of his 3-point shots. His 613 career rebounds are the most by a UD guard and he also sparked the defense with 149 career steals, No. 9 on UD chart.
41-Jim Sherman: The William Penn High product is No. 2 all-time on the UD career chart in RBI (227) and total bases (489) and third in homers (46) after starring as an outfielder from 1979-82. Sherman reached Triple-A in six minor-league seasons and was Delaware’s baseball coach for 21 years through 2022.
40-Greg Smith: The 6-foot-7 Smith was a reliable low-post presence for UD basketball teams, setting the school record with a career 60.9 field-goal percentage while scoring a Blue Hen-best 1,713 points from 1993-97 (now No. 4 on the list). He holds the three best single-season field-goal percentage numbers in school history, topped by his .628 in 1994-95. He is also fourth all-time in rebounds at Delaware with 878. Smith’s 48 straight games in double figures from 1995-97 are a UD record and his 22 double-doubles in 1996-97 are the school single-season standard.
39-Frank McCann: The shortstop’s 13 triples in 1976 remain the UD baseball single-season mark, as do the 28 for his career. A career .385 hitter, including .421 as a senior, McCann also smacked 30 homers and stole 72 bases, fourth all-time at UD. The first-round draft pick played seven minor-league seasons and reached Triple-A.
38-Spencer Dunkley: After spending his senior high school season at Newark as a foreign-exchange student, the Wolverhampton, England, resident joined the Blue Hens and blossomed into a low-post phenom who was the 51st pick of the 1993 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. The 6-11 Dunkley set UD career marks with 916 rebounds and 195 blocked shots from 1989-1993 (both now No. 2). His 367 rebounds in 1992-93 set a North Atlantic Conference record and remain the single-season school mark. He also blocked 96 shots that season to set a school mark and had 21 double-doubles, second most ever by a Blue Hen. His 40 career double-doubles share the school record. Dunkley had a 20-point, 25-rebound effort vs. UMBC, still the most rebounds by a Blue Hen in a game since 1963.
37-David Sheppard: The sprinter out of William Penn High won 14 East Coast Conference individual and relay track titles, nine outdoors and five indoors, to set the UD standard from 1986-90. Sheppard was named ECC Championships Outstanding Performer three times, set seven school records, including 400-meter clockings of 47.98 indoors and 47.02 outdoors. His four IC4A Top 10 finishes were highlighted by a fifth in the 400 meters in 1990 outdoors.
36-Dave Yates: The Mount Pleasant High grad set a UD record by batting .444 in 1969 and led the 1970 College World Series team in homers, RBI and stolen bases. He was a first-team All-American and MAC Player of the Year in 1970. Yates, a second baseman. concluded his career with a .377 lifetime average and a school record with 60 stolen bases. He played two minor-league seasons in the Phillies’ chain.
35-Ed Mongan: The Tower Hill School graduate remains the only Blue Hen male to compete at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, placing ninth in the 440-yard dash in 1973, when he also ran the 600. He became the first Blue Hen IC4A indoor champ that year in the quarter-mile and added the MAC 440 hurdle title and IC4A runner-up 440 outdoors in spring. Mongan set seven UD records, including in quarter-mile, half-mile, hurdles, relays and triple jump.
34-Nate Cloud: The 6-foot-6 Conrad High alum set the school record for career rebounds with 882 that lasted nearly 30 years and still ranks No. 3. His averages of 14.9 rebounds in a season (1960-61) and 14.2 for his career remain the UD standards. He is one of only two Blue Hens to have two career 20-point/20-rebound games (brother Pete is the other). Cloud scored 1,167 career points, which was second all-time at UD when he graduated. His career 18.8 ppg is No. 4 all-time and featured a career-high 36 against Lehigh. Cloud was chosen in the fourth round of the 1964 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
33-Steve Shaw: Shaw became the top face-off man in NCAA Division I history during his UD lacrosse career from 1983-86. He was a three-time first-team All-ECC pick and a three-time All-American and sparked Delaware to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984. He set NCAA records for career groundballs (541), career groundballs per game (9.49), face-off win percentage in a season (.774) and career (.707) and face-offs won in a season (237) and career (838).
32-Harding Nana: The Virginia Tech transfer from Cameroon scored 1,345 points during three UD basketball seasons from 2003-06 and was first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association as a junior and senior. Comfortable beyond the arc and in the paint at 6-foot-8, Nana’s 19 double-doubles in 2004-05 are third most in a UD season and his 40 share the school career record. His career 17.5 ppg is surpassed only by Saddler among Hens since 1968. Nana is the only Blue Hen to average double-digit career rebounds since 1975 (10.2).
31-Cliff Brumbaugh: The third baseman out of William Penn High was a tough out, batting .428 in 1994, .442 in 1995 and setting a UD single-season doubles record (32) in 1996. His 95 hits in 1995 are third most in a UD season. His career .393 average ranks fourth all-time. A 13th-round draft MLB draft choice, Brumbaugh had a long pro career that included 46 big-league at-bats in 2001.
30-Andrew Pierce: The walk-on from South Jersey sparked Delaware to the NCAA title game as a freshman in 2010 with 1,655 ground yards en route to becoming one of the top running backs in school history. His 4,459 career rushing yards is No. 2 all-time at Delaware. He had 21 100-yard rushing games and also caught 103 career passes.
29-Matt Nagy: Nagy passed for a UD record 8,214 yards from 1997-2000, a mark that still stands. His 3,436 yards passing in 2000 is No. 2 all-time and sparked Delaware to a 12-2 season and NCAA semifinals. His 2,916 passing yards in 1998 is No. 4 on the UD single-season chart. Nagy passed for 265.1 yards per game during his UD career, an average topped only by Flacco. He had a successful Arena Football League career and was later head coach of the Chicago Bears.
28-Steve Taylor: The Newark High grad went 12-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 114 strikeouts, second most in a UD baseball season, as a senior in 1997. Taylor was a first-team All-American for the ECC champion Hens and first-round pick of the New York Yankees. He pitched five minor-league seasons including 31 Triple-A starts.
27-Ray Sweeney: The All-American guard paved the way for NateBeasley, Vern Roberts and the powerhouse Wing-T running attack during the Blue Hens’ 1974 NCAA runner-up season.
26-Randy Powers: The quick and elusive attackman was a three-time lacrosse All-American from 1984-86. Powers was Delaware’s only two-time East Coast Conference Player of the Year and sparked Delaware to three league titles and its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984. He set school records for career goals (161) and points (241).
25-Gardy Kahoe: Kahoe helped give the Delaware Wing-T offense its reputation as a nightmare for defenses while, as a halfback from 1969-71, dashing for 2,374 yards, now No. 8 on the all-time list. His 1,328 yards in 1971 is sixth on the UD single-season chart. His 120.7 per-game average that year is third best in UD history and he had 12 100-yard games on teams that won three Lambert Cups, three Boardwalk Bowls and the 1971 national title.
24-Scott Waibel: From 1977-80 the second baseman became Delaware’s all-time leader in both hits (303) and RBI (231). Waibel batted .386 for his career, including .407 in 1979 and .419 in 1980. He was three-time All-East Coast Conference and 1980 ECC Player of the Year on teams that made three NCAA appearances.
23-George Schmitt: Cornerback Schmitt set Delaware records for interceptions in a season with 13 in 1982, when he was a first-team All-American, and 22 in his career (1980-82) . Both remain the standard. Schmitt played one NFL season with the St. Louis Cardinals but had to stop because of an injury.
22-Ken Luck: The high-flying 6-foot-4 Luck drew fans to the Delaware Field House with his acrobatic play, dunking eight times in a 1982 game against Rider, while setting a UD scoring record with 1,613 points (now No. 5) from 1978-82. He averaged 20.0 points per game as a senior. His school freshman record 27-point game wasn’t eclipsed until 2012. Luck set a UD record with a .527 career field-goal percentage (now No. 8) and a school steals mark with 173 (now No. 3). He’s also among Delaware’s top 40 all-time rebounders with 479. Luck had four career 30-point games with a career-high of 40.
21-Jeff Trout: The second baseman had the only plus-.500 single-season batting average in UD history (.519 in 1983). His 98 hits and 86 runs that year are also school marks. Trout finished with a .397 career average, No. 3 all-time at UD, on teams that won four East Coast Conference titles and made three NCAA Tournaments. He was a fifth-round Twins draft pick and batted .303 hitter in four minor-league seasons. Son Mike is three-time American League MVP with Angels.
20-Chuck Hall: Fullback Chuck Hall finished his career (1968-70) as Delaware’s all-time leading rusher with 3,157 yards and remains No. 4 on the all-time chart. His 95.7-yards-per-game running the football is second best by a Blue Hen. His 16 100-yard games are the most among those who played three varsity seasons. He was a 1970 All-American and a two-time All-East pick.
19-Bill Vergantino: Vergantino was a four-year starter from 1989-92 whom many felt was the ideal quarterback to direct the Delaware Wing-T offense running/passing versatility. His 2,564 career rushing yards are first among QBs and seventh among all Blue Hens and included 38 TDs. Vergantino also passed for 6,487 career yards, third all-time at Delaware, and 47 TDs, which ranks second, while sparking the Hens to the NCAA semifinals as a senior. His 9,051 yards of total offense are the school career record.
18-Devon Saddler: Delaware’s all-time leading basketball scorer with 2,222 career points sparked the Blue Hens to the Colonial Athletic Association championship and NCAA Tournament as a senior in 2014. The 6-foot-2 guard is one of three Delaware players to have scored 20 or more points in seven straight games. Saddler finished his career with 50 games in which he scored 20 or more. His high was 32 in a Preseason NIT game against Kansas State at Madison Square Garden.
17-Dave DeWalt: DeWalt logged a 101-9 career record as a 177- and 190-pound wrestler for the Blue Hens from 1982-86, including a 39-bout win streak. He had a UD record 31 career pins. DeWalt won East Coast Conference titles at 177 as a sophomore and junior and at 190 as a senior, when he placed seventh in the NCAA Tournament.
16-Joe Flacco: Pitt transfer Joe Flacco’s prolific passing in his two seasons made him the highest NFL draft pick in UD history, 18th overall in 2008 by the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he started for 11 seasons and was Super Bowl MVP. Flacco’s 4,263 yards passing in an All-American 2007 season are a UD mark and sparked Delaware to the NCAA finals. He was CAA and ECAC Eastern Player of the Year. His 7,046 yards passing are No. 2 all-time and he threw for 41 TDs, which is fifth.
15-Alex Smith: Smith became the top face-off specialist in college lacrosse while starring for Delaware from 2004-07, sparking the Blue Hens to the NCAA Final Four as a senior. The three-time All-American led the NCAA in face-off winning percentage his last three seasons and also was first in groundballs as a senior. He set NCAA records for face-offs won in a season (311) and career (1,027), groundballs in a career (553) and by winning all 21 face-offs in a 2006 game vs. Manhattan. He was All-CAA four times and 2007 CAA Player of the Year and later played professionally and for the U.S.
14-Daryl Brown: The No. 1 rusher in Blue Hens history, Daryl Brown powered for 4,587 yards out of the Wing-T fullback spot from 1991-94 on teams that won two Yankee Conference titles and made three I-AA Tournament appearances with a 1992 semifinal berth. His 22 100-yard games are also the UD standard, including the 272 vs. Northeastern in 1994.
13-Dennis Johnson: Dennis Johnson was the captain of Delaware’s unbeaten 1972 national championship team as a senior. He was an All-American defensive tackle as a junior, when Delaware was also national champion, and senior. His 215 career tackles in 33 career games (six shutouts) are among the highest by a UD defensive lineman. Johnson later became the first ex-Blue Hen to start an NFL game when he played for the Washington Redskins.
12-Omar Cuff: Converted from defensive back to tailback midway through his freshman season, Omar Cuff became one of the most explosive runners in UD history. He rushed for 4,364 yards, No. 3 all-time at UD, and covered another 1,256 yards catching passes. His 106.4 rushing yards per game is a UD record, as are his 440 career points and 73 TDs. Cuff rushed for a UD single-season-record 1,973 yards and an NCAA record 35 TDs for the Hens’ 2007 NCAA runner-up squad.
11-Mike Pegues: Often praised for his low-post dexterity by coach Mike Brey, the 6-foot-5 Pegues was the first Blue Hen to surpass 2,000 career points during his career from 1996-2000, when Delaware won two America East titles, played in two NCAA tournaments and also in the National Invitation Tournament. He is also No. 7 on the all-time UD rebounds list with 785. His 12 30-point games are a UD record, as are his 751 field goals. Pegues is Delaware’s only three-time, first-team all-conference selection, and was 1999 America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
10-Conway Hayman: The Newark High graduate was a first-team All-American guard in 1970, closing a career in which he consistently paved the way for the Blue Hens’ powerhouse Wing-T running attacks on teams that won three Lambert Cups and three Boardwalk Bowls. Hayman played 77 NFL games.
9-Darrell Booker: The bruising linebacker was a member of the Blue Hens’ all-century football team in 1989. Booker starred on Delaware defenses from 1984-86. He had 23 tackles in a game twice, which remains the school record. His 153 tackles in 1985 remains the most by an individual in a UD season. His 506 is the UD career mark.
8-Curtis Dickson: Lacrosse attackman from British Columbia set the school record for career goals (162) during his prolific UD career from 2007 to 2010. As a freshman Dickson sparked Delaware to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four. He then keyed the Hens’ NCAA return in 2010, when he was CAA Player of the Year, an All-American, finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy as the nation’s top player and scored 62 goals to lead Division I. Dickson then played professionally and won the world title with Canada.
7-Dallas Green: The 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher went 6-0 with a 0.88 ERA for the UD baseball team in 1955 to earn a tryout with Phillies, who signed the Conrad High grad. He’d whiffed 95 in 51 innings. Green won 20 games in six seasons with Phillies and later managed their 1980 World Series championship.
6-Guillermo Delgado: College soccer’s national freshman of the year in 2013, a four-time first-team All-Region choice and a four-time All-American, Delgado was the centerpiece of the greatest span in the UD program’s history. The Spaniard set UD career records for goals (49), assists (19) and points (117). His 18 game-winning goals are 13 more than any other Blue Hen. Delgado was CAA Freshman of the Year and two-time Player of the Year.
5-Eddie Conti: Conti set an NCAA Division I-AA record with 1,712 receiving yards in 1998, highlighted by a UD single-game record 354 at UConn. Conti holds school career marks of 3,737 yards and 31 TDs receiving. Conti was also a dangerous returnman and a first-team All-American in 1998.
4-Al Neiger: Neiger’s 166 strikeouts in 1959 led the nation and are 52 more than any other Blue Hen pitcher has had in a season. They came in 103 innings and made him UD’s first All-American pitcher. His ERA that season was 0.88 and he was 9-3. For his career, Neiger had a 1.10 ERA and 224 strikeouts. The Wilmington High grad appeared in relief in six games for the Phillies a year later.
3-Kevin Mench: The St. Mark’s High grad is the Blue Hens’ all-time baseball leader in batting average (.409) and home runs (71). His .455 average in 1998 is second best by a Blue Hen and he smacked a UD record and NCAA-high 33 homers that year. The outfielder was two-time America East Player of the Year and a two-time All-American. Mench batted 268 with 89 homers in eight MLB seasons.
2-John Grant: The Canadian was national lacrosse Player of the Year as a senior in 1999 when he led the nation with 110 points and sparked the Blue Hens to their second NCAA Tournament berth and first NCAA win. In two UD seasons covering 32 games, Grant had 81 goals and 96 assists worth 177 points and was a two-time USILA All-American. He went on to a long and successful pro career.
1-Rich Gannon: Gannon dazzled UD football fans as a runner and passer from 1984-86, setting school career marks for passing yards (5,927), total offense (7,436) and rushing yards by a QB (1,509) and ran for 26 touchdowns. He was an All-American and Yankee Conference Player of the Year in 1986. In a late-blooming 17-year pro career, Gannon was NFL MVP in 2002 while steering Oakland to the Super Bowl.
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