Delaney Ends College Career on LI [Photos]

“Can someone block that end?,” said one Stony Brook player who watched from the sidelines as Albany’s Eddie Delaney leveled quarterback Kyle Essington after a pass attempt. “Are you serious? He has one hand.”

Delaney, born without a left hand, has offered that tenacious prescence at Albany for years. He saw his journey as a college football player come to an end Saturday as Stony Brook beat the Great Danes, 31-28, in the first round of the NCAA Division I football championship tournament before a record crowd of 8,286 at LaValle Stadium.

He finished with four tackles and a half sack in the loss.

Standing 6-foot-6, Delaney has been tearing apart offenses and overcoming adversity since his days at Sachem as an All-County defensive end. He also suffers from diabetes and wears an insulin pump.

Last week the Holtsville native and Sachem East alum was named All-Northeast Conference for the third straight season, recording 58 tackles and setting a program-record with nine sacks this year.

Playing in front of friends and family, a stones throw from where he was born at Stony Brook University Medical Center in 1989, Delaney was thrilled with the results of his senior year.

“I felt like everything worked out. Winning the conference, making the playoffs for the first time with Albany,” he said, “it was amazing. I’ll never forget this experience.”

Albany had a strong first half, leading 21-10 heading into the third quarter. Stony Brook, however, had other plans. Brock Jackolski, a William Floyd alum, scored three second-half touchdowns to lead the Seawolves.

Charging in the final minute, Albany had a shot to win the game, but quarterback Dan Di Lella threw an interception to Dominick Reyes to seal the biggest victory in Stony Brook history.

“In the end it all comes down to making the right decisions and that was not the right decision,” Di Lella said. “It cost us the game.”

Delaney said Albany’s plan was to stop Stony Brook’s potent rushing threat of Jackolski and Riverhead native Miguel Maysonet, forcing the Seawolves to throw.

“We were ready for the passing game,” Delaney said. “They just caught us off guard with a couple of things.”

Jackolski, who finished with 108 yards on the ground, caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Essington in the third quarter, edging the gap to 28-24. He later scored on an 11-yard run in the fourth to take the lead for good.

For Delaney it marks the end of a four-year playing career with Albany.

“It’s a tough way to go out,” he said, “but I wouldn’t have done it with any other group of guys.”

Did you know? Sachem coaching legend Fred Fusaro started his coaching career at St. Lawrence University as a graduate assistant under current Albany coach Bob Ford. Ford has been at Albany since 1970 and has coached many Sachem alums, including current Sachem North assistant coach Tom Pandolf.

Stony Brook advances: The Seawolves (9-3) advance to the second round of the NCAA playoffs and have the chore of playing top-seeded Sam Houston State (11-0) in Texas on Saturday, December 3.

Other connections: Although they didn't see action, Stony Brook also features two Sachem alums: Davon Lawrence and Craig Geoghan.