Delaware Valley College

DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Delaware Valley College senior linebacker Kyle Gesswein and senior offensive lineman Mike Long have been named first team preseason All-Americans by D3football.com.

It is the latest preseason accolades for the duo as they were each selected to Lindy’s All-America team. Gesswein was also named a preseason All-American by The Sporting News and was listed as one of the four players to watch in Division III by USA Today.

Gesswein is coming off a 2009 campaign that saw him named as the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Defensive Player of the Year, the D3football.com East Region Defensive Player of the Year and as a D3football.com first team All-American. He led the Aggies in tackles (98), tackles for loss (18), sacks (11) and forced fumbles (three) while also notching four pass breakups, one interception and one blocked kick. In the process, he became Delaware Valley’s all-time leader in sacks with 30.

Long was an all-MAC and D3football.com East Region first-team selection as well and then capped his 2009 honors by being named an honorable mention All-American by D3football.com. The 6-foot-2, 270-pound left tackle helped the Aggie offense average 30.7 points and 382.5 yards (184.8 avg rushing, 197.7 avg passing) per game, including four, 40-plus point performances.

Delaware Valley has been ranked as high as seventh in Division III preseason polls with the D3football.com Top 25 slated for release in August. The Aggies return 18 starters from a squad that went 10-2 overall, captured its second straight MAC championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. The 2010 edition will open its season on Saturday night, September 4 (7:00 p.m.) with a non-conference game at Muhlenberg College.