Football Announces 2013 Captains
Photo: (L-R) Will Fiacchi, Kadeem Williams, Eric LaPorta, Randall Exantus
ALBANY, N.Y. – Just over a week away from kicking off a brand new era of University at Albany football, the Great Danes announced the captains for the 2013 season. The team elected junior Will Fiacchi and seniors Kadeem Williams, Eric LaPorta and Randall Extantus.
“All four of these kids are good workers,” said Head Coach Bob Ford. “They all have good work ethics both in the weight room and on the practice field.”
Fiacchi, a native of Marcellus, N.Y., started all 11 games at quarterback in 2012 and set a record for completed passes in a regular season. Fiacchi completed188-of-309 passes with just five interceptions, while connecting for 11 touchdowns. Fiacchi also threw for 2,156 yards, good for third all-time at UAlbany. In his first season in the pocket, Fiacchi averaged 196.0 passing yards per game with 127.96 pass efficiency.
“Will is a fairly quiet kid. He’s a really good student, a student of the game of football, and comes from a coaching family,” said Ford. “Will is tough physically and has pretty darn good leadership skills.”
Williams, a 6-7, 310 pound offensive lineman from Jersey City is a two-time first-team All-Northeast Conference award winner as well as a 2012 College Sports Madness second-team All-America honoree. Last season, Williams helped UAlbany to the league’s top-ranked scoring offense (34.1), and limited opponent sacks to just 1.45 per game, starting all 11 games at left tackle. He was also named a Preseason All-American by Phil Steele’s College Football Preview this summer.
“Kadeem is a very quiet leader,” said Ford. “When he speaks, people listen. He exerts a great deal of influence in the offensive line.”
Also a member of the o-line, LaPorta enters his third season as UAlbany’s starting center and has excelled both academically and athletically for the Great Danes. After starting his career as a walk-on, the Yorktown Heights, N.Y. native was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District Football Team and helped UAlbany win back-to-back Northeast Conference titles.
“Eric is also a kid who has worked very hard in the weight room and he’s a great student,” said Ford. “He and Randall are at one end of the noise trail and Kadeem and Will are at the exact other end. It’s a good mix, I think.”
Exantus, a cornerback from Greenlawn, N.Y., has been a consistent contributor and a vocal leader for the Danes throughout the past three seasons. Starting all 11 games, Exantus totaled 40 tackles and broke up six passes in 2012. He also played in all 12 games in 2011 and 10 in 2010.
“Randall has always been an undersized confident athlete,” said Ford. “Again, with great work ethic on the field and a strong work ethic in the weight room, he’s turned himself into a pretty solid football player who throws his body around with reckless abandon.”
Using an open ballot format, the captains were voted upon by the returning players.
UAlbany kicks off the 2013 season with non-conference clashes at Duquesne on Saturday, Aug. 31st, and at Colgate on Sept. 7th. The Great Danes open up their new home, Bob Ford Field, against CAA foe Rhode Island on Sept. 14th at 7:00 p.m. Season and single game tickets are on sale now. Click here to explore ticketing options.
