Adele Named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year at Bushnell Cup Presentation

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Capping off a sensational senior season, Dartmouth football defensive lineman Ejike Adele was named a winner of the ASA S. Bushnell Cup on Monday afternoon as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. He becomes the Big Green's first Bushnell Cup winner since the Big Green won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2018 (Isiah Swann) and 2019 (Jack Traynor).

Monday's presentation was held at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Adele is the fourth Ivy Defensive Player of the Year in program history and 10th player of the year of any kind. Beginning with the 2010 season, the Ivy League and the NFF have partnered at the end of the season to present the award. In 2011, the Ivy League began recognizing both an offensive and defensive player of the year.

Adele beat out other finalists, Columbia senior defensive back Hayden McDonald and Harvard junior defensive back Ty Bartrum.

A first team All-Ivy League honoree, Adele led the Big Green in both sacks (6.0) and tackles-for-loss (12.0) while his 54 tackles were tied for second on the team. He had some huge games, including at Columbia while he finished with nine tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks. At Princeton, he had 10 tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks. Adele finished third in the Ivy League in sacks, while leading the league in tackles-for-loss (which was also good for 23rd nationally).

Since the Ivy League began announcing finalists for the awards in 2010, Dartmouth has been represented in New York 10 times with four winners — RB Nick Schwieger in 2010, LB Folarin Orimolade in 2016, CB Isiah Swann in 2018 and LB Jack Traynor in 2019. Other finalists were Schwieger in 2011, QB Dalyn Williams in 2014, LB Will McNamara in 2015, QB Derek Kyler in 2021 and DL Charlie Looes in 2023. The Big Green have had nine players win the Bushnell Cup since its inception in 1970, starting with QB Jim Chasey in the inaugural year, followed by the late Buddy Teevens (1978), Shon Page (1990), Al Rosier (1991) and Jay Fiedler (1992) before the four in the 2010s.

THE WINNERS.

This year's Bushnell Cup recipients are @PennFB RB Malachi Hosley (Offensive Player of the Year) and @DartmouthFTBL DL Ejike Adele (Defensive Player of the Year). 🌿🏈

📰 » https://t.co/D2fRl28G3V pic.twitter.com/7K3UsTYKBe
— Ivy League (@IvyLeague) December 16, 2024

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