Six former Nassau Community College football team members are competing for NCAA championships this postseason.
Anton Juncaj made three appearances for NCC in 2021 and is now an integral part of the University of Albany football team that is set to play in the NCAA Division I FCS semifinals on Friday. The defensive lineman collected CAA Preseason Honorable Mention and CAA First Team Defense accolades this season. Â
Junius Keys, Rashad Tucker,
Jack Winey, Connor Mahunik, and
Jaden Martinez – all former Lions and now members of the SUNY Cortland football team – will compete for an NCAA Division III championship against North Central College on Friday.
All five players excelled on the field as Lions under Head Coach
Jamel Ramsay, who said. "I'm delighted to share the achievements of our former Nassau Community College stars. To Junius, Rashad, Jack, Jaden, and the entire Cortland team: go out there and make us proud once again. Your journey inspires us, and we'll be cheering for your success in the championship game."
The former NCC football stars took their experience as Lions and built on it to achieve outstanding success at Cortland. On the road to the 2023 championship game, defensive lineman Junius Keys had 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks, and Linebacker Jaden Martinez led the Cardinals with 11 tackles in the NCAA semifinal win.
Wide receiver Rashad Tucker Earned All-Empire 8 First-Team honors as a return specialist and linebacker Jack Winey compiled impressive stats including leading the Red Dragons with 124 tackles through 13 games while posting double-figure tackles five times.
Coach Ramsay continued, "As Cortland advances to the National Championship with a stellar 13-1 record, I extend our best wishes to our exceptional alumni. Your dedication and skill have brought you to this pinnacle, and the Nassau community is incredibly proud."
Juncaj and the Great Danes will face #1 South Dakota at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15. The game will air live on ESPN2. Kick-off for Cortland's Friday night championship contest is also at 7:00 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPNU.
