WORCESTER, Mass. – Senior free safety Luke Ford and senior quarterback Peter Pujals will serve as the captains of the 2016 Holy Cross football team, as announced by head coach Tom Gilmore. Pujals, who was previously one of three captains during the 2014 campaign and one of two captains in 2015, becomes only the second player in school history to serve as a team captain for three seasons. Dominic Randolph was a team captain in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Ford started all 11 games during the 2015 season at free safety, and earned Academic All-Patriot League honors. He ranked fifth on the team with 43 total tackles last year, including two tackles for loss. Ford also led the team with three interceptions in 2015, in addition to breaking up four passes. He finished the 2015 campaign third in the Patriot League in interceptions, 11th in passes defended and 48th in total tackles. In 27 career games played, he has now recorded 78 tackles, five interceptions and seven pass breakups.

Pujals earned first team All-Patriot League honors last season, after being a second team All-Patriot League selection in 2014. He started all 11 games at quarterback in 2015, connecting on 286 of 484 passes for 3,195 yards and 28 touchdowns. Pujals also rushed 92 times for 319 yards and a score, while finishing the year with 3,514 yards of total offense. He led the Patriot League in both passing yards and total offense, while standing third in pass efficiency (129.1 rating). Over the course of his Holy Cross career, Pujals has now hit on 722 of 1,191 passes for 7,809 yards and 57 touchdowns, while rushing 398 times for 1,493 yards and 15 scores.

Both Ford and Pujals are natives of Glenview, Ill., and graduates of Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill. They have known each other since kindergarten and have been teammates since the fifth grade.

The Crusaders will open the 2016 season when they travel to Morgan State on Saturday, Sept. 3.