A linebacker for his first three years at Muhlenberg, Stankowitz made the switch to tight end for the 2001 season. He currently alternates at his new position with junior Jeff Dipple.

“[Coach Mike Donnelly] talked to me about moving after my sophomore season, but I opted to stay on defense,” Stankowitz said “I thought it would work out for the best, but it ended up not going too well.”

Stankowitz had a promising sophomore season, starting seven games and recording 48 tackles, good for seventh on the team. But after a junior year of playing primarily as a reserve and on special teams, “I decided it would be a good idea to make the switch.”

Has it ever been a good idea. Stankowitz is third on the team with 10 receptions through six games. Two of his catches have been for touchdowns, and he had a big 29-yard reception on the drive that set up the game-tying touchdown in the closing minutes against Western Maryland.

“It’s a little surprising,” he admitted. “I didn’t think I’d have quite the success I’m having so far. At the same time, I knew I was up to the challenge.”

Production from the tight end position hasn’t been a feature of the Mules’ offense in recent years. Muhlenberg tight ends caught one pass in 2000, four in 1999 and three in 1998.

“Between myself and Jeff, we’ve proven that we can catch the ball,” Stankowitz noted. “I think it’s definitely a big part of the reason why our offense is doing so well this year. Having a little more diversity in the throwing game is helping us out.”

Stankowitz, who was recruited as a wide receiver out of high school by most colleges, attributes his quick learning of the offense to his maturity as a player. The Muhlenberg offense was just one of the many new things he learned last semester while studying in Maastricht, Holland.

“It was great to learn about a lot of different things,” said Stankowitz of the semester abroad, which included trips to Italy, Spain, France and Germany. “It made me a better-rounded individual, instead of being so narrow-minded. I never thought I’d be interested in the historical part of it, but it ended up that’s what I enjoyed learning about the most.”

After he graduates, Stankowitz hopes to land a job relating to his major and his marketing concentration. For now, he’s concentrating on his new position.