WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University football team had six student-athletes named to All-Patriot League teams, when the conference announced its postseason awards on Tuesday. Junior defensive lineman Khristian Tate (Warner Robins, Ga. / Covenant Academy) was named to the first team, while five more members of the defense earned second team nods. Sophomores Owen Kessler (Westfield, N.J. / Westfield) and Duval Paul (Lynn, Mass. / Everett) were both selected on the defensive line, while their classmate Wes Bowers (Fort Washington, Md. / Bishop McNamara) was named as a linebacker. Senior safety Jethro Francois (Winter Haven, Fla. / Victory Christian Academy) claimed a spot as a defensive back and sophomore Ahmad Wilson (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Gateway) earned his second-straight nod as a special teams non-specialist.
 
For Tate, this is his third-straight All-Patriot League selection as he was named to the second team as a freshman and the first team last year as a sophomore. He played and started in all 11 games in 2018, ranking fourth on the defense in tackles with 54, while leading the way with 16.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 10.0 sacks and nine quarterback hurries. He recorded multiple sacks in each of Georgetown's four league wins, including two each against Lafayette, Lehigh and Bucknell. Tate's 10.0 sacks, which led the Patriot League and ranked eighth in all of FCS, are tied for the ninth most in a single season in program history, and he has already cracked the career top 10 with 16.5 career sacks.
 
Kessler had a breakout sophomore season, starting in all 11 games while playing a hybrid of defensive line and linebacker. He was fifth on the squad in tackles with 48, while ranking second with 6.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries. Kessler also tied for third with 8.5 TFL and had two of Georgetown's league-high 20 interceptions which came in consecutive games against Campbell and Dartmouth. He recorded a career-high 11 tackles against Columbia and was a force in the backfield in the season finale against Holy Cross, recording 2.5 sacks for a loss of 26 yards.
 
Paul also played in 11 games, making 10 starts on the defensive line. He ranked seventh on the defense with 41 tackles and was a force in the backfield with 2.5 sacks, 4.5 TFL and five quarterback hurries. Paul also forced two fumbles and recovered two others, including a 9-yard scoop-and-score in the season opener at Marist. He recorded GU's lone blocked kick in 2018, rejecting a PAT attempt against Lehigh, which was returned for a defensive extra point.
 
Bowers was a central figure in the Hoya defense, playing and starting all 11 games at middle linebacker. He led the team in tackles with 91, which ranks fourth in the Patriot League, and had a team-high four interceptions. Bowers also ranked third on the squad with 4.5 sacks and 8.5 TFL. Two of his interceptions were among Georgetown's season-high four in the season finale against Holy Cross, including one which he returned 20 yards for the pick six. He also returned a blocked PAT attempt for a defensive extra point against Lehigh. Bowers reached double digits in tackles four times in 2018, including a career-high 18 in the home opener against Campbell, a mark that ranks third in GU history.
 
Francois appeared in 10 games, making one start as a senior. He tied for eighth on the defense with 38 tackles while also adding 2.0 TFL, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. He tied for second on the team with three interceptions, two of which came in the fourth quarter of GU's victory at Fordham to seal the program's first win in Patriot League play since 2015. Two weeks later he added a pick in the second overtime against Lehigh, setting up Georgetown's game-winning touchdown to defeat the Mountain Hawks for the first time since 1925.
 
Wilson earned his second-consecutive postseason award after being named to the All-Patriot League First Team as a freshman last year, also being selected as the special teams non-specialist. This year, Wilson was a force on both defense and special teams, playing in all 11 games with 10 starts at safety. He finished with 33 tackles, 1.0 TFL and was third on the team with five pass breakups. He had two memorable interceptions in 2018, including a highlight-reel grab at Lafayette and an interception in the season finale against Holy Cross where he lateraled to teammate Ramon Lyons (Orlando, Fla. / Ocoee / West Orange), who ran it in for the defensive score.
 
The Georgetown defense was among the best in both the Patriot League and the FCS. The Hoyas led the Patriot League with 34 sacks and 20 interceptions, and ranked second in scoring defense (21.1 ppg), total defense (298.0 ypg) and rushing defense (103.2 ypg). Nationally, the Blue & Gray was among the top 20 in interceptions (2nd), pass efficiency defense (2nd), turnovers gained (6th), rushing defense (10th), total defense (12th), sacks (10th) and scoring defense (18th).
 
The Hoyas finished the 2018 season with a 5-6 overall record and tied for second in the Patriot League with 4-2 mark. The four wins in league play are the most by a GU program since joining the conference in 2001. The five wins are the most since 2012.