HADLEY, Mass. – The Wesleyan football team saw eight selections on the 2021 All-NESCAC First and Second Teams, as announced on Tuesday by the conference office and voted on by the league's head coaches. Highlighting the list was DT
Nick Helbig '23 who was named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Wesleyan's eight all-conference selections are behind only Williams (11) and Trinity (10), followed by Middlebury (7), Amherst (6), Hamilton (6), Tufts (6), Bowdoin (4), Bates (3) and Colby (1). The eight selections are the sixth-most for the Cardinals in the 21-year history of the All-Conference Teams in the NESCAC. Wesleyan's record is 14 set by the 2014 squad.
Earning First Team laurels on offense are WR
Logan Tomlinson '23 and C
Bryce Jenkins '22 while Helbig was joined on the First Team defense by CB
Danny Banks '22. The Cardinals placed four more on the Second Team, which featured QB
David Estevez '22, OG
Sam Folse '23, LB
Harry LeGoullon '23 and P/K
Daniel Yoon '24.
Logan Tomlinson '23 | Wide Receiver | First Team
Tomlinson burst onto the scene in his debut season on the field, after missing his entire freshman year due to injury in 2019. Despite facing constant double teams as the primary weapon for the Cardinals through the air, Tomlinson still managed to haul in 59 catches for 842 yards and 5 touchdowns. He finished the season ranked fourth in the NESCAC in receptions and yards and sixth in touchdowns. In terms of Wesleyan's program history, Tomlinson's 59 catches are the second-highest single-season total for any Cardinal since 2000 while his 842 yards rank as the fourth-most in the same time span. In back-to-back wins over Bowdoin (10 catches, 118 yards, 1 TD) and Tufts (11 catches, 219 yards, 1 TD), Tomlinson combined for 21 catches for 337 yards and 2 TD.
Jenkins becomes just the fifth Cardinal offensive lineman to earn multiple All-NESCAC selections over the course of their career and just the second in program history to earn two First Team honors as he earned the same distinction in 2019. He lined up as the Cardinals' starting center in all nine games and helped lead a Wesleyan offense which ranked fourth in scoring (21.9 ppg) and total yardage (373.9 ypg) as well as third in rushing (150.4 ypg).
Nick Helbig '23 | Defensive Tackle | NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year | First Team
Helbig continues his assent up the record books at Wesleyan as the 2019 NESCAC Co-Rookie of the Year and First Team selection made headway, becoming just the second Cardinal in school history to earn NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors (Jake Bussani – 2014). Helbig was a one-man wrecking crew up the middle for the Wesleyan defense all season, leading the team in tackles with 50 (33 solo) while sitting tied for second in the NESCAC in both tackles for loss (11) and sacks (5.5). Through two seasons of competition, Helbig has 89 career tackles, 24 TFL and 13 sacks in 18 games played. Helbig played through injury for most of the season and still managed to finish the year strong with eight tackles and 2.5 sacks playing at the undefeated NESCAC Champion Williams in week 8 while he followed that up with nine tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and fumble recovery in week 9 against Trinity's high-powered offensive attack.
Danny Banks '22 | Cornerback | First Team
Banks makes the First Team for the first time in his career after he was named Second Team All-NESCAC in 2019. The play-making cornerback tallied six interceptions this season to lead the NESCAC and rank Top 10 nationally. He posted 45 tackles (31 solo) as well as three pass breakups, one forced fumble and one blocked kick on the year. Banks' greatness was on full display in the season finale against Trinity as he picked off Trinity's All-NESCAC First Team QB Spencer Fetter three times, tying the school record in the process. His six INTs in 2021 are the most for any Cardinal in a single-season since Bussani recorded seven in the 2014 campaign that saw him earn NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
David Estevez '22 | Quarterback | Second Team
Estevez was named to the Second Team at Quarterback as he dazzled the Cardinal faithful with both his passing and rushing abilities throughout the season. He closed out the year with 1360 yards passing with a 64% completion percentage while tossing 11 TD against just 4 INT. Estevez also led the Cardinals in rushing as he added 746 yards on 152 carries (4.9 yards per carry) with 4 rushing TD. The do-everything QB ranked fourth in the league in rushing (tops among QBs) while he posted the second-best completion percentage, tied for the fifth-most passing TDs and ranked third in QB efficiency. He was named NESCAC Player of the Week twice this season, earning his first weekly honor following a thrilling 27-24 road win at Bates where he went 12-for-12 throwing for 123 yards and 2 TD while also rushing 16 times for 40 yards and catching two passes for 61 yards and 1 TD (224 total yards of offense). His greatness, however, was on full display in a 36-35 triumph at Tufts where he broke a 32-yard school record with 474 total yards of offense (270 passing, 204 rushing) and accounted for three total scores including the game-winning TD in the closing minutes.
Sam Folse '23 | Guard | Second Team
Folse picks up his first career All-NESCAC in his first year as a starter along the offensive line for the Cardinals. Starting at guard in all nine games, he helped pave the way for the Wesleyan offense which scored 30+ points three times in 2021.
Harry LeGoullon '23 | Linebacker | Second Team
LeGoullon came on strong towards the back half of the season as the junior earned All-NESCAC Second Team honors, his first career All-Conference selection, following a season wherein he posted 47 tackles (third-most on the team) with 5.5 TFL and 2 sacks. He started his breakout in week 8 at Williams where he posted six tackles (four solo) with one TFL and then he closed the year with one of the best games a Cardinal played all season, recording a career-high 11 tackles (seven solo) with 2.5 TFL and one sack in week 9 against Trinity. The 11 tackles are the most for any Cardinal in a game this season.
Daniel Yoon '24 | Kicker/Punter | Second Team
Yoon's selection is a deserved one as the sophomore shined after 2019 All-NESCAC Second Teamer P/K Mason Von Jess '23 went down in the season opener at Colby. Taking on all of the Cardinal kicking duties, Yoon led the NESCAC in punts inside the 20-yard line (16), finished 6-for-7 on field goal attempts including a season-long of 37 while he was 23-for-26 on PATs for the season. His six made field goals ranked second-most in the league while Yoon was named NESCAC Special Teams Performer of the Week twice.
Wesleyan (6-3) wrapped up yet another winning season, their ninth straight overall while head coach
Dan DiCenzo has now led the Cardinals to a winning season in all six competitive seasons in which he has coached. Since taking over in 2015, DiCenzo has led Wesleyan to a 36-16 cumulative record. Highlights of the season included back-to-back-to-back thrilling, late comeback wins over Bates, Bowdoin and Tufts while Wesleyan posted a 24-0 shutout win over Middlebury in week 6, recording the first shutout win over the Panthers since 1975.
