Over the past two seasons, Yale football led the country in scoring defense and did so with a defensive player as captain for each of the campaigns. For the 2009 season, cornerback Paul Rice ’10 will look to continue the tradition that Brandt Hollander ’08 and Bobby Abare ’09 left behind as captains over the last two seasons.

Rice was elected as captain of Yale football by his fellow teammates on Friday at the team’s annual banquet at Ray Tompkins House. The three-year starter will be the storied program’s 132nd captain.

The Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native was recently named honorable mention All-Ivy for the 2008 season, in which he recorded 38 tackles and four interceptions.

After serving as a backup for the beginning of his freshman season, Rice took over as a starter in the secondary by the season’s fifth game. That season he recorded 35 tackles, won the Charley Loftus Award as the team’s top freshman and helped lead Yale to an 8-2 record and a share of the Ivy League championship.

In 2007, the sophomore started all 10 games along with fellow cornerback Casey Gerald ’09 and the two became one of the best cornerback duos in the Ancient Eight. Rice finished fourth on the team in tackles with 49 and received his first All-Ivy honorable mention.

In his three seasons, Rice has made 122 tackles, intercepted six passes and recovered three fumbles.