Football Picks Four Captains Ahead of 2023 Season
9/11/2023 9:15:00 AM | Football
The Lions have named Caden Bell, CJ Brown, Luke Painton and Patrick Passalacqua as the team’s leadership group
NEW YORK — Columbia football's interim head coach Mark Fabish has announced that Caden Bell, CJ Brown, Luke Painton and Patrick Passalacqua will serve as team captains for the upcoming 2023 season. The quartet was selected after a team vote last week.
Bell served as the Lions' starting quarterback for the final five games of the 2022 season, leading the Lions to three straight wins to close the campaign. He completed 60 percent of his passes and racked up 1,198 yards and 10 touchdown passes.
Brown is a two-year starter at outside linebacker and was a preseason Phil Steele All-Ivy League selection in 2022. As a junior, the native of Houston, Texas, registered 37 tackles (25 solo), two tackles for loss and an interception.
Painton, who spent the previous two seasons as the Lions' starting tight end, bulked up to 310 pounds in the offseason to switch to the offensive line where he is projected to be Columbia's starting left tackle. Last year, Painton racked up 35 catches for 253 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning score at Harvard.
Passalacqua, who also made a position switch from offensive to defensive line last season, played in all 10 games as a defensive tackle in 2022. A product of Old Tappan, New Jersey, he saw action in all 10 games and posted 26 tackles (3.5 behind the line of scrimmage) and a sack. The junior is the non senior student-athlete to be named a captain since Alex Gross '11CC in 2009.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now. For more information, contact the ticket office at 888-LIONS-11 or lionstickets@columbia.edu.
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Bell served as the Lions' starting quarterback for the final five games of the 2022 season, leading the Lions to three straight wins to close the campaign. He completed 60 percent of his passes and racked up 1,198 yards and 10 touchdown passes.
Brown is a two-year starter at outside linebacker and was a preseason Phil Steele All-Ivy League selection in 2022. As a junior, the native of Houston, Texas, registered 37 tackles (25 solo), two tackles for loss and an interception.
Painton, who spent the previous two seasons as the Lions' starting tight end, bulked up to 310 pounds in the offseason to switch to the offensive line where he is projected to be Columbia's starting left tackle. Last year, Painton racked up 35 catches for 253 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning score at Harvard.
Passalacqua, who also made a position switch from offensive to defensive line last season, played in all 10 games as a defensive tackle in 2022. A product of Old Tappan, New Jersey, he saw action in all 10 games and posted 26 tackles (3.5 behind the line of scrimmage) and a sack. The junior is the non senior student-athlete to be named a captain since Alex Gross '11CC in 2009.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now. For more information, contact the ticket office at 888-LIONS-11 or lionstickets@columbia.edu.
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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