By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – There were plenty of players that had standout performances for the Tennessee Tech football team this season, but if you were to single it down to the one player that probably meant the most to the Golden Eagles in the 2018 campaign, senior kicker/punter Nick Madonia would be the overwhelming response.
The numbers he put up, the situations he faced and the leadership he provided were evident all season, and it made him an easy selection for the 2018 Robert Hill Johnson Award winner.
The award, the Tech football team's highest honor, is voted on by his teammates.
"It means a lot coming from the guys that I have put countless hours of work in with," Madonia said. "The fans only get to see us perform on Saturdays. They don't see all the hard work that we put in that started in January and went non-stop all the way to the Eastern Kentucky game."
At the end of Tech's 2018 season, Madonia had three of the 27 50-plus-yard field goals in the Football Championship Subdivision and was one of two FCS kickers with multiple 50-plus-yard field goals. He had the third longest field goal in the FCS this season with a 54-yarder at Utah State, which also was the 10th longest in all of Division I football this season.
Madonia also completed a longevity streak by hitting 65 consecutive PATs from Sept. 24, 2016, to Nov. 10, 2018, the longest such streak in school history.
"It was a rough year for the team, but personally I was able to accomplish some good things," Madonia said. "The three 50-yarders were very fun trying to get those and I'm thankful for a coach like Coach (Dewayne) Alexander to have faith in me to go out and make them. The consecutive PATS is really just a testament to my holder, snapper and line for being consistent."
Madonia continued, "It takes all 11 guys for me to be able to do my job. I've been thankful to have a great snapper in Riley Patton and a great holder in Seth Huner that have allowed me to be able to perform at my best without a concern if the snap is bad or if her got the hold right, because kicking the smallest mistake can make a huge difference."
He ended the 2018 season hitting 15 of 22 field goals, including 6-for-6 from 20-to-29 yards, 3-for-4 from 30-to-39 yards, 3-for-7 from 40-to-49 yards and 3-for-5 from 50 and longer. He hit 21 of 22 PATs, leading the Golden Eagles in scoring with 66 points.
Madonia finishes his Tech career second in program history in field goals made and attempted, as well as fourth in points by a kicker.
He is the second kicker to win the award, following Wayne Anderson in 1980, and the second punter to win the award, joining Steve Davis in 1979.
Madonia isn't finished yet as he's trying to earn the attention of professional teams as he looks for a spot.
"I'm attending the National Bowl on December 9th in Daytona," he said, "and that's going to be a blast getting to go down there and show out for some scouts. But, other than that, I'm on track to graduate next December with a civil engineering degree, which has been a tough battle when you put that and football together. So that's the next thing I'm working for is getting my degree."
Robert Hill Johnson, a native of Sparta, Tenn., was a student and assistant football coach at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute when he was killed in an auto accident on January 14, 1952, at the age of 22.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Johnson, he attended White County High School and was a standout in football for one year. He then transferred to The Baylor School in Chattanooga where he earned three football letters.
He enrolled at the University of Alabama, but a shoulder injury ended his playing career. In the fall of 1951 Johnson became a student at TPI, where he also coached offensive and defensive ends.
After just one season at TPI, Johnson was killed instantly when his car crashed into a concrete bridge railing at Cripple Creek, about seven miles east of Murfreesboro, on U.S. Highway 70.
The Jan. 25, 1952, edition of the Tennessee Tech Oracle said Johnson "exemplified all that is fine and good in the great game of football," and urged that the university do something to honor his memory.
Since then, Tech's highest football honor has been called the Robert Hill Johnson Award. It is presented annually to the player who makes the largest contribution to Tech during the season and is selected by members of the football team.
Redshirt junior linebacker Josh Poplar was named the recipient of the Sonny Allen Leadership Award. During a tremendous comeback, of which Poplar is also a nominee for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award, Poplar recorded 101 total tackles, an interception for a touchdown and a forced fumble.
Senior tight end Alex Carling was the recipient of the Bill Dupes Award for his inspiration and sportsmanship. Carling was injured early in the season against Jacksonville State, but was still a visible and vocal member of the team. He finished the season with two catches for 10 yards and a touchdown.
Junior defensive back Shannon Fayne was named the winner of the Tony Stone Bumble Bee for the team's top defensive back. Fayne was third on the team in tackles with 89, while also intercepting a pass, recovering two fumbles, forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass.
Junior wide receiver Seth Huner was named the team's Scholar-Athlete Award winner. A fantastic student in the classroom, Huner also caught 12 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 31 yards on 10 carries and completing one pass for 10 yards, in addition to his duties on the special teams unit.
Senior linebacker Jake Warwick earned the Tech Pride Award. The grandson of Tech Hall of Famer Lonnie Warwick, the senior was fourth on the team in tackles with 72. He also forced a fumble, sacked the quarterback once and broke up a pass.
Redshirt junior Deontay Wilson received the Unsung Hero Award for his continuous efforts with the team. Wilson led the team with 103 tackles and three pass break-ups.
Poplar and senior defensive lineman Anthony Akers were named the team's captains for the 2018 season. In addition to Poplar's numbers, Akers recorded 29 tackles, sacked the quarterback twice, broke up a pass and recovered a fumble.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
