Football | July 19, 2019

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan senior tight end Giovanni Ricci has been named to the 2019 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List.

Given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee and the 2019 Mackey Award recipient will be announced on December 11, 2019 and then presented live on December 12, 2019 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on ESPNU. All future announcements can be found at www.johnmackeyaward.com. NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.

Ricci heads into the 2019 season on the back of his most productive year of his career. The Loveland, Ohio native was named Third Team All-MAC after catching 35 passes for 392 yards and three touchdowns. Ricci also helped block for the 33rd-best rushing attack in the nation.  Ricci was also a Phil Steele Second Team All-MAC selection last season and is Preseason First Team selection heading into WMU's opener against Monmouth on Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.

Ricci joins teammates LeVante Bellamy (Maxwell, Doak Walker), D'Wayne Eskridge (Biletnikoff
) and Luke Juriga (Rimington) on prestigious award watch lists.

WMU Football single-game tickets are now on sale at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets and by calling 1-888-4-WMUTIX.