Tony DeRiggi wanted to play football at Mount Union (Ohio) College because of the program's great tradition.

He's now a part of it.

DeRiggi, a 2004 Seneca Valley graduate, was a key contributor to the Purple Raiders' quest for their eighth Division III national title in 13 years, which culminated Dec. 17 with a 35-28 win over Wisconsin-Whitewater in the championship game.

"The tradition this program has definitely had a lot to do with me coming here," DeRiggi said. "I'm very proud of what we accomplished this season."

While splitting time at strong-side linebacker in Mount Union's 4-2 defensive scheme, DeRiggi also was one of the squad's mainstays on special teams.

He totaled 21 tackles this season, including a solo stop in the national title game.

DeRiggi also tallied one pass defensed and a forced fumble.

"I saw some playing time as a freshman last season and earned a letter," said DeRiggi. "But since I came here, I believed I have improved 100 percent.

"In high school, coaches focus on teaching players the fundamentals of the game. In college, and especially at a top program like Mount Union, you're taught more specific things; like what to look for in certain situations on the field. Playing strong-side linebacker, you've got a lot of responsibility with the different gaps."

Last season, the Purple Raiders lost in the national semifinals. But coming into the 2005 campaign, the team once again had its sights set on one thing.

"From the day our season ended last year, we knew we'd be playing for a national title this season," said DeRiggi. "We knew we had the talent to do it."

But the team did receive a wakeup call in October.

The Purple Raiders dropped a 21-14 decision to Ohio Northern, snapping the program's 99-game winning streak in Ohio Athletic Conference play. Mount Union's last loss to a conference opponent came in 1994.

"After the loss to Ohio Northern, it was a big thing around here," DeRiggi said. "And it hurt at that moment, but I also think it brought us closer together.

"We knew it wasn't going to keep us from achieving our goals, but it showed us that we couldn't just show up and expect to win because we're Mount Union."

The Purple Raiders proceeded to defeat their final three regular season opponents by a combined score of 125-3, wrapping up a 14th consecutive conference crown.

That was followed by playoff victories over Mount St. Joseph (49-6), Augustana (Ill.) (44-7), Capital (34-31) and Rowan (19-7) before the win over Wisconsin-Whitewater. Mount Union ended the season with a mark of 14-1.

Next year, DeRiggi hopes to take over as the starting strong-side linebacker.

In his two seasons at Mount Union, which is located in Alliance, Ohio, DeRiggi has been impressed with the support the program receives.

"There's always players from the previous championship teams showing up at the games and supporting us," he said. "It shows how much people care about the program."