SEGUIN, Texas -- Senior defensive end
Manny Longoria (Geronimo/Navarro) has been named the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs' 2019-20 Male Sportsmanship Award Winner after exclusive voting by the TLU Athletics head coaches.
An Academic All-American and a playing All-American, Longoria lettered four seasons and starred at defensive end in the last three seasons with the Bulldogs. He was a three-time American Southwest Conference All-Conference performer.
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Manny Longoria is the best example for what it means to be a Division III collegiate student-athlete, and his individual accomplishments - Academic All-American, AFCA All-American defensive end, ASC All-Conference defensive end - while very impressive, speak to just a portion of the impact that Manny had on our football team," said Ricky Matt, TLU's new head football coach and Longoria's defensive coordinator the past three seasons. "Manny's influence and leadership off the field made his teammates, and coaches alike, want to strive to be the best that they could be in their lives."
Longoria was one of six TLU student-athletes nominated for the male sportsmanship award. Longoria's fellow nominees were: Zach Albers of Baseball, Jorden Kite of Men's Basketball, Matthew McArthur of Men's Golf, Matthew Stephenson of Men's Tennis, and Cole Welker of Men's Soccer.
This year, Longoria and the TLU defense combined with the TLU offense to produce a team turnover margin per game of plus-1.5. That turnover margin ranked sixth in NCAA Division III. The TLU defense also ranked 12th nationally in defensive touchdowns, with four, and ranked 23rd in fumbles recovered, with 12.
Longoria, a three-time All-ASC selection and two-time All-South Region choice, leaves TLU as the program's DIII-era career leader for sacks and tackles for loss. He tallied 24.5 career sacks for 158 yards and 46.5 tackles for loss for 226 yards.
Longoria had four career forced fumbles and three career fumble recoveries. He took two of those fumble recoveries back for touchdowns, including a 39-yard recovery this year in the road win over then-No. 6 Hardin-Simmons.
In a 2019 campaign that saw him face nearly-constant double-teams, Longoria collected six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He posted a single-season, career-best 43 tackles this season and ended his four-year career with 119 total tackles.
In the 2019 season, Longoria and TLU Football went 8-2 overall and 8-1 in the American Southwest Conference. The Bulldogs finished as the ASC runner-up for the first time in school history.
The Bulldogs were ranked in the Top 25 and in the regional rankings at times during the 2019 season, and TLU played for the conference championship on Nov. 9 at defending national champion Mary Hardin-Baylor.
TLU's eight wins in the ASC were the most by a Bulldog squad in the university's 18 seasons in the ASC (1998-2012, 2017-present). The eight overall wins marked just the eighth time in TLU's 85 football seasons that the Bulldogs have won that many games in a single season.
The TLU Male Sportsmanship Award is an annual award given to Bulldog student-athletes. The award is usually presented late in the spring semester at the TLU Athletics Awards Program.
This year's TLU Athletics Awards Program has been re-scheduled for 1 p.m. on Aug. 1, prior to TLU's graduation ceremony. The awards program will take place in TLU's Wupperman Little Theatre.
The TLU Athletics Senior Watches and awards for female and male sportsmanship, top female and male senior scholar-athletes, top female and male junior scholar student-athletes, and the team community service award will be handed out during the ceremony on Aug. 1.
TLU Athletics is announcing the awards winners this week. The awards will be presented formally on Aug. 1.
Female and Male Student-Athlete of the Year awards for 2019-20 will not be awarded this year with TLU athletics spring seasons halting in mid-March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
TLU Athletics is recognizing top senior student-athletes over the next few months with video profiles posted to TLU Athletics social media sites and tlubulldogs.com.
TLU Female Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year - Summer Swift
TLU Male Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year - announced on Tuesday, April 21
TLU Female Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year - announced on Tuesday, April 21
TLU Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year - announced on Wednesday, April 22
TLU Female Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year - announced on Wednesday, April 22
TLU Team Community Service Award - announced on Thursday, April 24
