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BUFFALO, NY - Five University at Buffalo football players received honors at the annual University at Buffalo Athletic Awards banquet held April 27 at the Sheraton Four Points.

Delando Bradford

Delando Bradford (Franklin, MI/Groves), Dallas Pelz (Holland, NY/St. Francis), Obadiah Harris (Chillicothe, OH/Chillicothe), Mark Graham (Monroe, MI/Monroe) and Adam Johnson (Alta Loma, CA/Etiwanda) earned the major awards for the football team at the banquet from head coach Jim Hofher and his staff.

Bradford, who was named to the third team Sporting News Freshman All-America team, received the Top Newcomer award. Bradford started all 12 games as a freshman at cornerback and finished seventh on the team with 63 total tackles (48 solos). In addition, Bradford had six breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Pelz earned the team's Most Improved player honors after a terrific senior season, that saw the placekicker connect on 14-of-17 field goals and 15-of-16 PATs. Pelz twice earned MAC East Division Special Teams Player of the Week honors during the season, the first time after kicking four field goals in a 26-17 win over Ohio and again after kicking a school-record five field goals - including a career-long 50-yarder - at Toledo. For his career, Pelz became UB's all-time leader in field goals with 35 and scored more points (147) than any other kicker, while ranking fourth in all-time scoring.

Obadiah Harris

Harris, a senior who came to Buffalo from Valley Forge Junior College, earned the Coach's Award. A backup linebacker and special teams player, Harris was honored for his exemplary leadership skills and his dedication to the team. He will serve as a defensive graduate assistant this year.

Graham, who signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills shortly after the NFL draft concluded, was named the team's Most Valuable Player. Graham was a second-team Mid-American Conference selection despite missing the final two games of his career due to a hip injury. Despite missing those games, Graham still led the Bulls in tackles (84), solo stops (57), quarterback sacks (3) and fumble recoveries (3). In addition, the tri-captain added 6¹/₂ tackles for loss, second on the team, three pass breakups, one interception and three quarterback hurries. His 57 solo tackles this season were eighth most in a season by a Bulls defender.

Graham took over a starting role midway through his freshman season and had a team-best 38 straight starts at the time of his injury. The Michigan native is the school's career leader in passes defended (interceptions + pass breakups) with 37 and is fourth all-time in turnovers captured with 15 (12 interceptions and three fumble recoveries). He also finished his career third all-time in solo tackles (182), ninth in total tackles (266) and tied for fourth in interceptions (12).

Johnson, meanwhile, earned the Dominic Grossi Award, given annually to a UB Football Player who has displayed athletic prowess, academic excellence and sportsmanship. Grossi, from Lockport, NY, was a 1943 graduate of UB who lost his life in action on March 8, 1945 while serving with the U.S. Marine Corps during the assault on the island of Iwo Jima. Grossi received a Presidential Unit Citation for his extraordinary heroism while serving the United States Navy. Johnson did anything and everything for the Bulls in his career after transferring from Chaffey (CA) Junior College. He played quarterback, tight end and wide receiver on the gridiron and also spent over two seasons as a walk-on with the UB basketball team.

Adam Johnson

In his junior year, however, Johnson started using the talent that would earn him an NFL invitation. He started as a long snapper for the final 24 games of his career and successfully made 202 snaps between punts and field goals. As a senior, he helped Pelz convert on 14-of-17 field goals and helped the Bulls' punt team cover 20 punts inside the 20-yard line. He also made five tackles on special teams, four of them solos. After the season, Johnson was accorded the rare honor of being selected to play in the Hula Bowl in Hawaii as a long snapper. He also signed a free agent contract after the NFL draft to play with the Carolina Panthers.