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Aug. 29, 2012

Photo Gallery -Defensive Backs | Photo Gallery - Special Teams

Bronx, N.Y. -

In our final Fordham football preview, we'll take a look at the Fordham University defensive backfield as well as the special teams unit.

Defensive Backs

The Fordham defensive backs will be led by two returning starters, senior Brendan Melanophy, and junior Ian Williams.

Melanophy, a three-year starter in the defensive backfield who was named Capital One Academic All-District last fall, appeared in all eleven games as a junior in 2011, starting ten. He finished the year with 53 total tackles, 35 solo, including one for loss and he also had two pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. Melanophy recorded a season-high nine tackles, four solo, and had a quarterback hurry at Georgetown and he made eight tackles, six solo, including 0.5 for loss, and forced a fumble at Army.

Over his Fordham career, Melanophy has compiled 125 total tackles, 88 solo, in 32 games, including six for loss and one sack. He also has five pass deflections and one interception.

Ian Williams

Williams, who moved into a starting spot at one of the corners last fall, saw action in all eleven games as a sophomore, starting ten at cornerback. He led the team with eight pass deflections and tied for team lead with two interceptions. Williams was also fourth on the team with 54 total tackles, 41 solo, and he recovered one fumble. He recorded a career-high 17 total tackles, eleven solo, and broke up a pass at Lafayette and intercepted two passes and made three solo tackles against Lehigh. His first interception against Lehigh led to a Fordham touchdown.

Other players on the 2012 roster who saw significant playing time last year include seniors Khary Powell and Robert Palmer and sophomores Jake Dixon, Jordan Chapman and De'Nard Pinckney.

Khary Powell (11)

Powell appeared in ten games as a junior, starting three at cornerback. He registered 16 total tackles on the year, eleven solo, finishing with five tackles in the win over Columbia, four solo. Powell also had five stops, three solo, at Rhode Island.

Palmer saw action in two games as a junior for the Rams, playing in the Lehigh and Army games. He made three total tackles at Army, one solo and 0.5 for loss.

Dixon played in ten games as a freshman for the Rams, starting four. He recorded 22 total tackles, 14 solo, including one for loss, and also had one pass breakup and recovered a fumble. Dixon made season-high six tackles, two solo, versus Lehigh and finished with five stops, four solo, and broke up a pass at Penn.

Chapman appeared in nine games as a freshman, starting one at cornerback. He finished the season with seven total tackles, six solo, making four solo tackles at Rhode Island. He also recorded two stops, one solo, at Colgate.

De'Nard Pinckney (14)

Pinckney saw playing time in six games as a freshman for the Rams, making five total tackles, two solo, and he broke up a pass. He made a pair of stops in the season opener at Connecticut and recorded a solo tackle and broke up a pass at Lafayette.

Junior Nick DiFilippi and sophomore Eric Darnell also return for 2012. Darnell appeared in one game as a freshman for the Rams, making one solo tackle at Lafayette.

Newcomers who look to see time in the defensive backfield include sophomore Levon Williams and freshmen JQ Bowers, Kevin Dinnegan and Greg Goff.

Williams is a transfer from Nassau Community College where he played football in 2011, appearing in seven games, making 14 total tackles, ten solo. A graduate of Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, New York, Williams was named First Team All-New York City in 2010 and was also an All-Borough (Brooklyn) selection as a senior in high school.

Bowers is a graduate of Sylvania Southview High School in Sylvania, Ohio, where he was a First Team All-League selection at WR, DB, and Utility. He was also named Second Team All-District and placed seventh at the Ohio Nike SPARQ Combine. Bowers accumulated 1,000 rushing yards, 1,200 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns.

Dinnegan is a product of Tappan Zee High School in Orangeburg, N.Y., where he played quarterback, running back and free safety in high school. He led the 2010 team to a perfect 8-0 record and a league championship and was named All-County as a senior in 2011.

Goff is a graduate of Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Conn., where he led the football team to a win over Choate in the NEPSAC Arthur Valicenti Bowl to finish the season a perfect 9-0 and capture the Class B New England Championship. Cheshire finished the regular season at 8-0, the first undefeated regular season in 48 years. Goff played both running back and defensive back in 2011 for Cheshire, averaging 7.3 yards/rush and scoring five rushing touchdowns while making 30 tackles on defense.

Special Teams

Patrick Murray (7)

The Fordham kicking game will rest comfortably on the foot of senior punter/kicker Patrick Murray. Murray, who was named to every preseason All-America team in 2012, is coming off a 2011 season in which he punted 49 times for 2,160 yards, an average of 44.1 yards/punt, tops in the Patriot League and third best in the NCAA FCS. He landed 21 of his kicks inside the opponent's 20 this fall and had 16 of his 49 punts travel more than 50 yards, including a season-long 73-yarder. The 73 yard punt, which came at Rhode Island, tied his career-high and was the second longest punt in school history (the Fordham record is 85 yards by Len Eshmont in 1939). Murray also booted a 73-yard punt at Colgate in 2009.

Murray's 44.1 punting average was the fourth best single season average in Fordham history while his 41.4 career punting average is second on the school's all-time list and his 5,585 career punting yards in sixth.

He will be joined in the kicking game by senior Kevin Levin and sophomore Michael Marando and Adam Malkiewicz. Marando handled the placekicking chores for the Rams for the final nine games last fall. He connected on seven of 15 field goal attempts and all 15 of his extra point attempts. Marando was a perfect 2-for-2 in field goals at Penn (34 and 36 yards) and he also connected on a pair of field goals at Georgetown, including a season-best 41-yarder.

Joseph Sullivan (59)

Malkiewicz, a tight end, will serve as the back-up to Murray at punter. He did not do any kicking for the Rams last year but was a member of the football and soccer teams at The Bishop's School in La Jolla, California.

The kickers wouldn't be able to do their job without a proficient long snapper and the Rams have two on the roster in junior Joseph Sullivan and Vincent Antinozzi. They will also have the steady hands of holders Brian Wetzel and Blake Wayne.