LetterWinners of Distinction to be Honored Nov. 1
9/27/2013 11:31:00 AM | General
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Four of Syracuse University's former athletic standouts and the 1983 national champion men's lacrosse team will relish their well-deserved time in the spotlight during the annual LetterWinner of Distinction banquet. Syracuse University will honor the former student-athletes who have left their mark on the athletics program and in their lives after graduation at the annual celebration on Friday, November 1 at the Turning Stone Event Center in Verona, N.Y. The 2013 honorees include John Nicholson '68 (crew), Eileen (Smith) Edsall (volleyball/basketball), James (Art) Monk '80 (football) and Craig Bingham '82 (football).
Tickets are $100 per person. A reception begins at 6 p.m. followed by a dinner at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, please visit SUathletics.com/MyCuse.
John Nicholson '68
John Nicholson'68 is a veteran news and sports broadcaster who has reported and anchored for television stations in Syracuse, Jacksonville, Tampa-St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He has hosted sports event coverage across the United States and Canada, and in Europe and Australia for ESPN, the USA Network and others. He has also hosted pre- and post-game coverage of SU football and basketball on television, radio and the Internet.
Recently Nicholson was appointed the first director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center at Syracuse University. For the past 15 years he has been a professor of practice in broadcast and digital journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications where he has taught and mentored numerous students now working as news and sports professionals.
Nicholson lettered in crew and was privileged to row for coaches Bill Sanford and Loren Schoel. He is the past president and a long-time director of the Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association. For 15 years he served as editor, writer and publisher of the SARA newsletter, The Orange Oar. He is the public address announcer and Internet voice for SU men's and women's rowing coverage.
Nicholson has been involved in a variety of civic and charitable organizations in the Syracuse area, including Special Olympics, Volunteer Center, Syracuse Press Club and Thursday Morning Roundtable. He has five adult children and two grandchildren. He and his wife, Susan, live in North Syracuse.
Eileen (Smith) Edsall '81
Eileen (Smith) Edsall was a four-time letterwinner in women's basketball and volleyball. She was a two-year co-captain for volleyball (1979, 1980), and a co-captain of the 1980-1981 basketball team, which still holds the school record for most victories in a season (26). Eileen graduated with a BS in accounting from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
After graduation, Eileen began her career in accounting at Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport, New York. She relocated to Syracuse, where she worked in the cost control department at Niagara Mohawk and as a financial consultant at Merrill Lynch. She held jobs in Boston where she worked in marketing for Eaton Vance Mutual Funds, and in investments for Bank of Boston. She later served as vice president of investments at Enterprise National Bank in Jacksonville, Florida.
At SU, Edsall won the Verhulst Sportsmanship award her senior year and was inducted into the Syracuse University Orange Plus Hall of Fame in 1990. She is a lifetime (30+year) Varsity Club member.
Edsall was a board member at East Catholic High School in Manchester, Connecticut, and has been actively involved in youth sports through coaching and fundraising. Edsall and her husband, Maryland football coach and SU alum Randy Edsall, have supported Best Buddies, Arthritis Foundation, Jay Foundation and the Casey Cares Foundation. In 2013, the Edsalls established the Edsall Family Foundation to support non-profit organizations. They have a daughter, Alexi, and a son, Corey.
James (Art) Monk Sr. '80
Art Monk is a four-year letterwinner and one of the most decorated Orange wide receivers of all-time. During his reign from 1976-79, Monk was recognized with the Lambert Trophy twice, which is awarded to the top college player in the Eastern U.S. Monk earned All-America accolades in 1979 after catching 40 passes for 716 yards. Upon his graduation from the College of Visual and Performing Arts in 1980, Monk ranked as Syracuse's all-time leading receiver. He currently is tied for ninth place on the school's all-time receptions list and is 10th in career receiving yards. In addition, Monk still holds the Orange record for most receptions in a single game with 14 against Navy in 1977.
Monk was selected by the Washington Redskins with the 18th overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. He set franchise records with 888 career receptions for 12,026 yards. In 14 seasons with the Redskins, Monk played in four Super Bowls—XVII, XVIII, XXII and XXVI—and helped his team win Super Bowl titles in 1983, 1988 and 1992. In 1994, he played for the New York Jets before ending his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995. In his 16-year career, Monk played in a total of 224 games and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
In 2008, Monk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Then, in 2012, Monk joined 17 others with Syracuse ties in the National Football Foundation (NFF) College Football Hall of Fame.
In addition to an impressive football resume, Monk has significant accomplishments as a business professional. He is the principal owner of Art Monk Enterprises, Art Monk Ventures, and Iron Consulting located in Northern Virginia. Monk is also known for his community engagement. In 1986, he created the Good Samaritan Foundation, which provided a wide-range of academic development and values-based education programs. Monk also co-founded Every Child Fed, an organization that works to prevent childhood death from malnutrition by empowering local communities through sustainable development.
Monk was elected to the Syracuse University Board of Trustees in 2006. He is a member of the Executive Committee, Academic Affairs and Facilities Committees. He and his wife, Desiree '81 (Human Development), are the parents of Danielle, James, and Monica '09 (Visual and Performing Arts).
1983 Men's Lacrosse Team
In 1983, the Orange clinched its first NCAA title and began a run of 22 straight Final Four appearances. Syracuse opened the season with seven consecutive wins before losing its only game of the year against Army. In the NCAA championship game, SU took down mighty Johns Hopkins by rallying for a 17-16 victory after trailing 12-5 in the third quarter.
The 1983 team was led by head coach Roy Simmons Jr. In his 13th year as head coach, he guided the Orange to the 13th NCAA Division I championship game and came away with the title. The win in the championship contest was the 100th career victory for Simmons.
The Orange opened the season with an impressive 16-13 victory on the road against Maryland. SU suffered its only major injury of the season when goalie Tom Nims was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Senior Travis Solomon stepped in and stopped 13 out of the 16 shots he faced. He would be instrumental in the team's success the rest of the year.
The victory sparked the Orange to a seven-game winning streak that included lopsided wins against Loyola, Navy and Penn State. After a 21-13 victory against Rutgers, SU found itself atop the USILA poll for the first time in school history. The Orange then posted wins against Adelphi and Hobart. The No. 1 Orange traveled to No. 6 Army where it lost for the only time all season, 9-6.
Syracuse bounced back with a win against No. 3 Cornell. With an 8-1 record after nine games, the Orange would go undefeated the rest of the season.
SU's 11-1 overall mark propelled the Orange into the playoffs as the second seed. The Orange hosted Penn in the quarterfinals and defeated the Quakers, 11-8. Syracuse had a rematch with Maryland in the semifinals, this time on its home turf. The Orange bested the Terps, 12-5, to earn a trip to the championship game for the first time in school history.
More than 17,000 fans gathered at Rutgers Stadium to watch top-seeded Johns Hopkins take on the Orange. Hopkins controlled the game from the start, opening a 7-2 lead and holding an 8-4 edge at the half. The Blue Jays took what looked like an insurmountable 12-5 lead with less than seven minutes left in the third quarter. However, Orange defenseman Darren Lawlor went the length of the field to score and start a rally that had Syracuse back to within four at the end of the third period. The final quarter began with SU scoring six straight goals to take a 15-13 lead. Brad Kotz tallied three of his five second-half goals during that stretch. Hopkins knotted the score at 15-15, but Kotz and Randy Lundblad each found the back of the net to give SU another two-goal cushion.
Del Dressel put in his third goal of the day to bring Hopkins within one with 50 seconds remaining, but the Orange defense did its job to secure the 17-16 win for Syracuse. Kotz's five scores earned him tournament MVP honors. Nelson had two goals and six assists, while Solomon ended the day with 18 saves.
Syracuse ended the year with a 14-1 record. A total of nine Orange players earned All-America honors. Individually, Brad Kotz was honored as the Player of the Year and Tim Nelson was named the Attackman of the Year. The championship victory gave the Orange its first national title since 1925 and the first under the NCAA playoff format.
All-Americans
Brad Kotz, First Team
Jeff McCormick, First Team
Tim Nelson, First Team
Art Lux, Second Team
Mark Wenham, Third Team
Dave Desko, Honorable Mention
Darren Lawlor, Honorable Mention
Randy Lundblad, Honorable Mention
Travis Solomon, Honorable Mention
Craig Bingham '82
Craig Bingham was an outstanding linebacker for the Orange from 1978-81. As a junior, Bingham moved into the starting lineup and led Syracuse in tackles with 144 (77 solo, 67 assisted) on his way to earning All-East Honorable Mention by the Associated Press.
The Stamford Conn. native graduated from SU's College of Visual and Performing Arts in May 1982. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 167th overall pick in the sixth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played for the Steelers until 1985 when he went to play for the San Diego Chargers. In 1987, Bingham returned to the Steelers and played his final season in the NFL.
While playing for the Steelers, Bingham became involved in various charities in the Pittsburgh area. He also found an interest in the business sector of Pittsburgh and remains involved as a board member on the Pittsburgh Regional Minority Purchasing Council and a member of the Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee.
After his playing career, Bingham started operating Diversified Commodities, Inc., a multi-faceted organization that services various needs of the industrial and construction sectors. His responsibilities include all aspects of sales, marketing, management of employees and customer service. In 2012, Bingham also purchased All Systems Fire Protection, Inc. Bingham currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Tickets are $100 per person. A reception begins at 6 p.m. followed by a dinner at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, please visit SUathletics.com/MyCuse.
John Nicholson '68
John Nicholson'68 is a veteran news and sports broadcaster who has reported and anchored for television stations in Syracuse, Jacksonville, Tampa-St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He has hosted sports event coverage across the United States and Canada, and in Europe and Australia for ESPN, the USA Network and others. He has also hosted pre- and post-game coverage of SU football and basketball on television, radio and the Internet.
Recently Nicholson was appointed the first director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center at Syracuse University. For the past 15 years he has been a professor of practice in broadcast and digital journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications where he has taught and mentored numerous students now working as news and sports professionals.
Nicholson lettered in crew and was privileged to row for coaches Bill Sanford and Loren Schoel. He is the past president and a long-time director of the Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association. For 15 years he served as editor, writer and publisher of the SARA newsletter, The Orange Oar. He is the public address announcer and Internet voice for SU men's and women's rowing coverage.
Nicholson has been involved in a variety of civic and charitable organizations in the Syracuse area, including Special Olympics, Volunteer Center, Syracuse Press Club and Thursday Morning Roundtable. He has five adult children and two grandchildren. He and his wife, Susan, live in North Syracuse.
Eileen (Smith) Edsall '81
Eileen (Smith) Edsall was a four-time letterwinner in women's basketball and volleyball. She was a two-year co-captain for volleyball (1979, 1980), and a co-captain of the 1980-1981 basketball team, which still holds the school record for most victories in a season (26). Eileen graduated with a BS in accounting from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
After graduation, Eileen began her career in accounting at Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport, New York. She relocated to Syracuse, where she worked in the cost control department at Niagara Mohawk and as a financial consultant at Merrill Lynch. She held jobs in Boston where she worked in marketing for Eaton Vance Mutual Funds, and in investments for Bank of Boston. She later served as vice president of investments at Enterprise National Bank in Jacksonville, Florida.
At SU, Edsall won the Verhulst Sportsmanship award her senior year and was inducted into the Syracuse University Orange Plus Hall of Fame in 1990. She is a lifetime (30+year) Varsity Club member.
Edsall was a board member at East Catholic High School in Manchester, Connecticut, and has been actively involved in youth sports through coaching and fundraising. Edsall and her husband, Maryland football coach and SU alum Randy Edsall, have supported Best Buddies, Arthritis Foundation, Jay Foundation and the Casey Cares Foundation. In 2013, the Edsalls established the Edsall Family Foundation to support non-profit organizations. They have a daughter, Alexi, and a son, Corey.
James (Art) Monk Sr. '80
Art Monk is a four-year letterwinner and one of the most decorated Orange wide receivers of all-time. During his reign from 1976-79, Monk was recognized with the Lambert Trophy twice, which is awarded to the top college player in the Eastern U.S. Monk earned All-America accolades in 1979 after catching 40 passes for 716 yards. Upon his graduation from the College of Visual and Performing Arts in 1980, Monk ranked as Syracuse's all-time leading receiver. He currently is tied for ninth place on the school's all-time receptions list and is 10th in career receiving yards. In addition, Monk still holds the Orange record for most receptions in a single game with 14 against Navy in 1977.
Monk was selected by the Washington Redskins with the 18th overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. He set franchise records with 888 career receptions for 12,026 yards. In 14 seasons with the Redskins, Monk played in four Super Bowls—XVII, XVIII, XXII and XXVI—and helped his team win Super Bowl titles in 1983, 1988 and 1992. In 1994, he played for the New York Jets before ending his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995. In his 16-year career, Monk played in a total of 224 games and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
In 2008, Monk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Then, in 2012, Monk joined 17 others with Syracuse ties in the National Football Foundation (NFF) College Football Hall of Fame.
In addition to an impressive football resume, Monk has significant accomplishments as a business professional. He is the principal owner of Art Monk Enterprises, Art Monk Ventures, and Iron Consulting located in Northern Virginia. Monk is also known for his community engagement. In 1986, he created the Good Samaritan Foundation, which provided a wide-range of academic development and values-based education programs. Monk also co-founded Every Child Fed, an organization that works to prevent childhood death from malnutrition by empowering local communities through sustainable development.
Monk was elected to the Syracuse University Board of Trustees in 2006. He is a member of the Executive Committee, Academic Affairs and Facilities Committees. He and his wife, Desiree '81 (Human Development), are the parents of Danielle, James, and Monica '09 (Visual and Performing Arts).
1983 Men's Lacrosse Team
In 1983, the Orange clinched its first NCAA title and began a run of 22 straight Final Four appearances. Syracuse opened the season with seven consecutive wins before losing its only game of the year against Army. In the NCAA championship game, SU took down mighty Johns Hopkins by rallying for a 17-16 victory after trailing 12-5 in the third quarter.
The 1983 team was led by head coach Roy Simmons Jr. In his 13th year as head coach, he guided the Orange to the 13th NCAA Division I championship game and came away with the title. The win in the championship contest was the 100th career victory for Simmons.
The Orange opened the season with an impressive 16-13 victory on the road against Maryland. SU suffered its only major injury of the season when goalie Tom Nims was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Senior Travis Solomon stepped in and stopped 13 out of the 16 shots he faced. He would be instrumental in the team's success the rest of the year.
The victory sparked the Orange to a seven-game winning streak that included lopsided wins against Loyola, Navy and Penn State. After a 21-13 victory against Rutgers, SU found itself atop the USILA poll for the first time in school history. The Orange then posted wins against Adelphi and Hobart. The No. 1 Orange traveled to No. 6 Army where it lost for the only time all season, 9-6.
Syracuse bounced back with a win against No. 3 Cornell. With an 8-1 record after nine games, the Orange would go undefeated the rest of the season.
SU's 11-1 overall mark propelled the Orange into the playoffs as the second seed. The Orange hosted Penn in the quarterfinals and defeated the Quakers, 11-8. Syracuse had a rematch with Maryland in the semifinals, this time on its home turf. The Orange bested the Terps, 12-5, to earn a trip to the championship game for the first time in school history.
More than 17,000 fans gathered at Rutgers Stadium to watch top-seeded Johns Hopkins take on the Orange. Hopkins controlled the game from the start, opening a 7-2 lead and holding an 8-4 edge at the half. The Blue Jays took what looked like an insurmountable 12-5 lead with less than seven minutes left in the third quarter. However, Orange defenseman Darren Lawlor went the length of the field to score and start a rally that had Syracuse back to within four at the end of the third period. The final quarter began with SU scoring six straight goals to take a 15-13 lead. Brad Kotz tallied three of his five second-half goals during that stretch. Hopkins knotted the score at 15-15, but Kotz and Randy Lundblad each found the back of the net to give SU another two-goal cushion.
Del Dressel put in his third goal of the day to bring Hopkins within one with 50 seconds remaining, but the Orange defense did its job to secure the 17-16 win for Syracuse. Kotz's five scores earned him tournament MVP honors. Nelson had two goals and six assists, while Solomon ended the day with 18 saves.
Syracuse ended the year with a 14-1 record. A total of nine Orange players earned All-America honors. Individually, Brad Kotz was honored as the Player of the Year and Tim Nelson was named the Attackman of the Year. The championship victory gave the Orange its first national title since 1925 and the first under the NCAA playoff format.
All-Americans
Brad Kotz, First Team
Jeff McCormick, First Team
Tim Nelson, First Team
Art Lux, Second Team
Mark Wenham, Third Team
Dave Desko, Honorable Mention
Darren Lawlor, Honorable Mention
Randy Lundblad, Honorable Mention
Travis Solomon, Honorable Mention
Craig Bingham '82
Craig Bingham was an outstanding linebacker for the Orange from 1978-81. As a junior, Bingham moved into the starting lineup and led Syracuse in tackles with 144 (77 solo, 67 assisted) on his way to earning All-East Honorable Mention by the Associated Press.
The Stamford Conn. native graduated from SU's College of Visual and Performing Arts in May 1982. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 167th overall pick in the sixth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played for the Steelers until 1985 when he went to play for the San Diego Chargers. In 1987, Bingham returned to the Steelers and played his final season in the NFL.
While playing for the Steelers, Bingham became involved in various charities in the Pittsburgh area. He also found an interest in the business sector of Pittsburgh and remains involved as a board member on the Pittsburgh Regional Minority Purchasing Council and a member of the Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee.
After his playing career, Bingham started operating Diversified Commodities, Inc., a multi-faceted organization that services various needs of the industrial and construction sectors. His responsibilities include all aspects of sales, marketing, management of employees and customer service. In 2012, Bingham also purchased All Systems Fire Protection, Inc. Bingham currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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