MANSFIELD – Mansfield University Football announced that Andrew Licwinko '11 and Sam Tillman '21 will be honored with the 2020 and 2021 Frank Butsko Memorial Award.

The award will be presented at the annual Butsko Breakfast on Saturday, Sept. 25 on Homecoming Weekend and prior to kick-off against University of Pennsylvania. The breakfast begins at 9 a.m. and is open to the public. Anyone attending the event must preregister and prepay at this LINK. Cost is $15 for adults, $10 for children age 3-10, and free for children under 3 years. There is no day-of registration.

Awarded annually, the Frank Butsko Award is the most prestigious honor that can be bestowed upon a Mountaineer football player. The award is named after former assistant coach Frank Butsko who was killed in an automobile accident during a recruiting trip.

A member of the first ever sprint football team at Mansfield University in 2008, Licwinko was a two-year starter at center and punter. Licwinko was the first center during the program's inaugural season, taking advantage of available playing time after playing predominantly as a skilled position player in high school.

Licwinko remains the program leader for longest punt (62 yards) and is third all-time in career punt yards (1,979).

Named 2nd-Team All-CSFL lineman, Tillman and the entire offensive line led the Mounties to an historic 2019 season, winning a program-record five games, three CSFL North games and went on to face Division I Army in the CSFL North Championship game for a chance to play in the final. The unit up front allowed junior David Butler to set the program record for rushing yards in a season (852) while tying his own record for touchdowns with seven.

Named team captain, Tillman was named Male Fall Iron Mountie of the Year in 2019-20. A leader on and off the field, Tillman broke a four-year bench press record last August.

The annual Austin Snyder Alumni Appreciation Award, the John "Jay" Atkins Mountie Award and the Scott Holzapple '87 Academic Scholarship will also be presented at the Butsko Breakfast.

Long-time CoSIDA Hall of Fame Sports Information Director Steve McCloskey '91 will be honored with the Snyder Alumni Appreciation Award and Jason Easter will be honored with the John Jay Atkins Mountie Award.

McCloskey, one of the most decorated and honored athletic communication professionals in the nation, became Mansfield's first full-time sports information director in July of 1988. During his 28 years of service to Mansfield University Athletics, McCloskey put the Mountaineers on the map, with stories that featured in Sport Illustrated, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

From 2006-07, McCloskey, along with several other MU football alumni, was instrumental in the establishment of a sprint football program at Mansfield.

Given the nickname "Mr. Mansfield", McCloskey is a member of the CoSIDA Hall of Fame and was announced as the Twin Tiers Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Easter was a four-year member of the sprint football program, appearing in 16 games over his career. Easter was a member of the special teams unit, while hauling in two passes for six yards at wide receiver as a senior.

Stepping on campus as a non-traditional student in his 30s, Easter graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies while playing four years of football. Easter was known as as a leader and role model for not just Mountaineer student-athletes, but the entire MU population. 

Mansfield kicks-off against University of Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Van Norman Field.