The College of New Jersey Athletics

A ten game performer for the Lions in 2005, Andrew Larkin has been elected team co-captain for the 2007 season after another impressive outing with the team last fall.

On his first year with the Lions, Larkin handed out 55 tackles, including 31 solo tackles. He picked off two interceptions (65 yards) and added five pass breakups as well for the 2005 campaign.

He added a 10 tackle performance against LaSalle and made two pass breakups as well in the outing. Additional single-game highs included a 50-yard interception return in the match-up with SUNY Cortland, while adding another pickoff in the season finale at Kean. He was part of the Lions’ defensive unit that ranked third in the NJAC in both rushing defense and total defense, while ranking nationally as well in both categories after TCNJ gave up just 96.0 yards per game in the ground and 285.5 yards of total offense in 2005.

The 2006 campaign marked a career best season for the junior. He ranked 19th in the league in tackles (50). He was part of a defensive unit that also ranked among the national statistical leaders in several categories. TCNJ ranked 26 in team total defense (247.9 ypg), 43rd in rushing defense (96.6 ypg), and 10th in sacks per game (3.3) and 23rd in opponent fumbles recovered (13). He returns this fall as the team’s second leading tackler having added 37 solo stops with 31 assisted tackles. He also added two interceptions with five pass breakups by season’s end. He earned NJAC Honorable Mention honors for his play as a junior in 2006.

He was named the Defensive Player of the Week by both the NJAC and the ECAC after collecting a game-high 10 tackles in the Lions’ 24-21 road victory over Division I-AA LaSalle. He notched nine solo stops in the game and was an instrumental cog in a TCNJ defensive unit that held the Explorers to just 154 total yards of offensive in the second half.

Look for Larkin to be a key player for the Lions this fall from his safety position after back to back impressive seasons since joining the Lion’s in 2005. He returns for the 2007 campaign having just returned from Europe where he attended summer school.

A two sport athlete at nearby Notre Dame High School, he was his classes’ salutatorian as well as the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year after excelling in both football and baseball. An accomplished student, he earned a spot on the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 TCNJ Scholar-Athlete Honor Rolls as well as the NJAC’s Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. He is majoring in finance at TCNJ and has a 3.66 gpa and is a candidate for the 2007 ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-America Team.