WASHINGTON – Georgetown University Football Head Coach Rob Sgarlata has announced the four captains who will lead the Hoyas for the upcoming 2021 season. Graduate students Neal Azar, Joseph Brunell, Owen Kessler and Ahmad Wilson were all chosen by a vote of their teammates and coaches.
 
"Over the past 18 months we have challenged our players, coaches and staff to control the controllable and work to improve by one percent each day," Sgarlata said. "We are very fortunate to have these four extremely talented and committed student-athletes in our Hoya football family. All four have displayed true SISU by leading our program through a number of unprecedented challenges. I am looking forward to seeing Neal, Joe, Owen and Ahmad continue their journey as they lead our program into the 2021 season."
 
Azar started all 11 games at center as a sophomore in 2019 after starting seven games as a freshman. The Norfolk, Virginia-native helped lead an offensive line unit that led the Patriot League in rushing offense (147.4 ypg) and allowed a league-low 19 sacks. Off the field, Azar is a two-time member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. He graduated from the McDonough School of Business in just three years with a degree in management.
 
Brunell saw his first action as a junior in 2019, appearing in eight games and completing 48 passes for 607 yards and three touchdowns. He passed for 146 yards and rushed for the game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter against Columbia to reclaim the Lou Little Trophy. Academically, he is a two-time selection to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.
 
A mainstay on the Hoya defense, Kessler has appeared in all 33 games during his career on the Hilltop while making 28 starts. As a junior in 2019, he led the defense with 7.5 TFL and ranked fifth on the team with 2.5 sacks and seventh with 41 tackles. Kessler was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career-high 13 tackles in the 2019 season opener at Davidson. For his career, Kessler has recorded 118 tackles with 21.0 TFL and 12.0 sacks, including 6.5 sacks in 2018 when he was named an All-Patriot League Second Team selection. Kessler has twice been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.
 
Wilson is Georgetown's most decorated returner, having earned postseason all-conference honors in each of his first three years on the Hilltop. He was named to the All-Patriot League First Team as a junior in 2019 when he ranked second on the GU defense with 62 tackles while also adding 3.0 TFL, a forced fumble and an interception. In 33 career games, Wilson has recorded 135 tackles to go along with three interceptions and 15 passes defended. Off the field, he was named to the 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, is a two-time Patriot League All-Academic Team selection and has earned three Patriot League Academic Honor Roll nods.
 
The Hoyas open the 2021 season on September 4 when the Blue & Gray welcome Marist to Cooper Field. Georgetown will play five home games this fall, including three Patriot League matchups and a nonconference tilt against Harvard (September 18). The squad will also travel to Columbia on September 25, looking to keep the Lou Little Trophy after an exciting 24-10 victory in 2019.