ALL-TIME ROBB & LIA AWARD WINNERS
Annually at Homecoming, two Wagner College football players are selected to receive special awards for outstanding play.
The James Robb Memorial Trophy is presented to the outstanding offensive player, while the
Nick Lia Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Seahawks' outstanding defensive player. The winners are selected by an alumni panel. This year's panel was headed by Kevin Ketelsen ('79) and Fred Williamson ('64).
This year's winner of the Robb Memorial Trophy for his efforts in Saturday's Homecoming Day game vs. Albany is sophomore running back
Dominique Williams (Bridgeton, NJ/ Bridgeton) who navigated his way on a snow-covered field for 145 yards on a career-high 34 carries, eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the fifth time this season and ninth time in his 16-game Seahawk career. Williams has rushed for 897 yards on the season, leaving him just 103 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark with three games remaining.
The winner of the Lia Memorial Trophy is junior linebacker
Mike Lombardo (Jupiter, FL/ Jupiter Christian) who paced the Seahawks defensively with a game and career-high 12 tackles, including one sack. Lombardo is second on the team in tackles with 62 and has 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception and one forced fumble.
Established in 1949, the Robb Trophy was named in memory of James Robb, a Seahawk gridiron star who was killed in action during World War II. It was presented to Wagner's outstanding individual player in the annual Homecoming game until 1969.
In that season, the Lia Trophy was introduced in honor of another Wagner football player, Nick Lia. The 1965 recipient of the Robb Trophy was killed in the Vietnam War. An outstanding defensive player and team captain, the Staten Island native was a graduate of Curtis High School.
In 2000, Lieutenant Nick Lia was honored for his athletic achievements by being inducted into the Wagner College Athletics Hall of Fame. Lia helped lead the 1964 football team to an undefeated season and captained the '65 team.
Each recipient receives an award and his name is added to the trophies which are on display in the in the Spiro Sports Center.
