2003 Third Team D3Football.com All-American
Nine years after the sudden death of Ricky Lannetti, his story still reverberates around the sporting world. A strapping 5-9, 189-pound Philadelphia native, Lanetti was one of the most versatile players for the Warriors in the early part of the century. He began his career as a kickoff returner and moved into the punt return role as a sophomore in 2001, earning Second Team All-MAC honors as a return specialist after returning two punts for a touchdown. As a junior, he turned into the Warriors’ top receiver after not catching a pass in his first two years with the team. He was even better as a senior, averaging a school-record 7.0 catches per game, posting 955 yards, plus as the team’s top punt and kick returner, he broke the school’s record for all-purpose yards in a season (1,644). He broke the school-record for most receptions in a game with 16 against Delaware Valley and also wrapped up his career holding all-time records in kick return yards (987), kick returns 945) and punt return touchdowns (2). He also helped Lycoming to an 8-1 regular season and its first MAC title since 1999, helping the team reach the NCAA Division III Championships while earning D3Football.com All-American honors and First Team All-MAC accolades as a receiver. In the first round against East Texas Baptist, he made five catches for 40 yards in Lycoming’ 13-7 overtime victory. However, the week before the NCAA quarterfinals, he fell ill. He checked into the hospital on Saturday morning and just 12 hours later, he died. The autopsy report released on Monday, Dec. 8, listed the cause as a bloodstream infection caused by Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA), better known as a staph infection. His death has been a rallying cry in the sports world for awareness in staph infection detection and his story has been featured in several national media outlets, including most recently ESPN: The Magazine in 2010.
