DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College football program placed 15 student-athletes on the 2015 New England Football Conference (NEFC) All-Academic Team.

Senior Connor Haynes (Sutton, Mass.) was joined by juniors Matthew Campbell (Sterling, Mass.), William Contois (Palmer, Mass.), Jacob Foley (Canaan, Conn.), Grant Klimek (Toms River, N.J.), Matthew McEvilly (Clinton, Mass.), Kyle Norton (Thompson, Conn.), Robert Orell (Worcester, Mass.), and Samuel Yeadon (Groton, Mass.).

Haynes is a sport management major who was 13-of-17 on PAT tries and 1-of-3 on field goals. A history education major, Campbell had two receptions for eight yards. Contois is an accounting major and also a member of the track & field team who recorded 50 tackles (29 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss (TFL), and 5.5 sacks.

Foley – who majors in history education – notched 12 tackles (10 solo) in 10 games and also forced a fumble against Maine Maritime (Nov. 14). Klimek is a criminal justice major who rushed for 424 yards and five touchdowns, including a season-high 126 yards in the opener against Westfield State (Sept. 4).

McEvilly is a criminal justice major who was a team captain in 2015. He recorded 82 tackles (44 solo) – seven of which were for a loss – and two sacks. Norton (criminal justice) and Orell (English) both played in all 10 games along the offensive line. Yeadon did not see any game action while majoring in criminal justice.

Additionally, sophomores Nicholas Dimopoulos (North Grosvenordale, Conn.), Zachary Gorczynski (Sutton, Mass.), Michael Nolan (Coventry, R.I.), Jeffrey Perez (Quincy, Mass.), Christopher Silvia (Westport, Mass.), and Stephen Smith (Waltham, Mass.) earned a spot on the team.

An economics major, Dimopoulos tallied 14 tackles (three solo), one tackles for loss (TFL), one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Gorczynski is a sport management major who racked up 22 tackles (11 solo) in 10 games. Nolan played in eight games and is a criminal justice major.

Perez played in all 10 games on the offensive line while majoring in criminal justice. An accounting major, Silvia appeared in four games and made two special teams tackles. Smith, meanwhile, is a business major who played in five games and made a pair of tackles.

MIT led the league with 45 student-athletes on the team, followed by Salve Regina (34), Endicott (31), Coast Guard (21), Western New England (20), Maine Maritime (16), Nichols, and Curry (11).

A total of 193 student-athletes from the eight member institutions were recognized. To qualify, student-athletes must have completed three semester at the same institution with a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).

Campbell, Contois, Foley, Haynes, McEvilly, Norton, and Yeadon were also selected to the squad last season.