NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The captain of #Team149 is headed to the Rocky Mountains. Offensive lineman
Nick Gargiulo, who helped the Bulldogs win two Ivy League titles, including leading the 2022 championship squad, was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2024 National Football League Draft. Wide receiver
Mason Tipton, a key part of Ivy championship teams in 2019, 2022 and 2023, was signed as a priority free agent by the New Orleans Saints.
Gargiulo, 6-foot-5, 318 pounds, was a unanimous first team All-Ivy selection as a senior at Yale in 2022. He also was named to the New England Football Writers Association All-New England team. At center, he anchored an offensive line that helped the Bulldogs lead the Ivy League in rushing, total offense and scoring offense. He was limited by injury as a junior but started all 10 games at left tackle in 2019, helping the Bulldogs win an outright Ivy League championship.
"We are so incredibly proud of Nick and excited for what is ahead for him as a member of the Denver Broncos," said
Tony Reno, The Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "Nick's growth in our football program on and off the field was unprecedented, and his care for his teammates was unparalleled. Nick captained our 2022 Ivy championship team and with his teammates raised the standards of chasing elite in our football family.
"Nick is a tough, smart and physical football player who will make the Broncos a better team as soon as he enters their facility."
Following his graduation from Yale, Gargiulo went to the University of South Carolina where, as a graduate student this fall, he was named third team All-SEC by the College Football Network. He was the only offensive lineman to start all 12 games for the Gamecocks.
"I am excited for the opportunity to play for such a great franchise," Gargiulo told DenverBroncos.com. "Regardless of when my name was called, I am really thankful to them for the opportunity."
Tipton finished his time at Yale third all-time in career touchdown receptions (19), fifth in career receptions (132) and sixth in career receiving yards (2,067). As a senior this fall, he was a unanimous first team All-Ivy selection after leading the league with 10 TD receptions, which was sixth in the FCS and tied for the fourth most in school history. He also was named to the New England Football Writers Association All-New England team. Tipton was a receiving threat throughout his Yale career, earning All-Ivy recognition three times. In 2021, he was a second team All-Ivy selection when he led the Bulldogs with 570 receiving yards and three touchdowns and ranked seventh nationally with 21.1 yards per catch.
"At the end of the day, it was the best situation for me. The coaches expressed that I would have an opportunity to prove myself, and that's all I need," said Tipton. "It means the world to me. I give thanks to God. I've been praying for this day for years, and I'm just beyond blessed now that it's here. I can't wait to get started."
"
Mason Tipton is an absolute steal for the New Orleans Saints," Reno said. "He was an impact player on an Ivy championship team in 2019 and has dominated the league since that season. His relentless work ethic and leadership combined with his physical ability make him the amazing player he is today. We are so proud of him and excited for his future in the NFL with the Saints."
Gargiulo and Tipton become the second and third Bulldogs off to the professional ranks. Offensive lineman
Kiran Amegadjie was taken by the
Chicago Bears in the third round of the draft on Friday.
The last time Yale had two players taken in the same draft was in 2001 when Than Merrill and Eric Johnson were back-to-back selections in the seventh round. Merrill was the 223rd pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Johnson was the No. 224 pick by the San Francisco 49ers.
