ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo announced on Thursday that Kip Frankland, John Marshall and Bijan Nichols have been voted as team captains by their teammates.
 
"Our team has chosen three great representatives for the Brotherhood and the Naval Academy," said Niumatalolo.  "All three are special young men, men of character and toughness."
 
Frankland, a native of Germantown, Tenn. and a Houston High School graduate, has started 15 games in his career at offensive tackle, including being the only offensive lineman to start all 12 games in 2021.  Frankland, who was named All-East, will not only have the honor of serving as a team captain, but will also wear No. 68 in memory of former Navy offensive lineman David Forney.
 
Marshall, who is from Highland, Md. and went to Gonzaga College High School, has started 20 games in his career at striker, including 11 games in 2021.  Marshall finished last year as Navy's second-leading tackler with 54, while also recording 3.5 tackles for a loss and a sack.
 
Nichols has been Navy's starting kicker for the last three seasons and is believed to be the first Navy place kicker to ever be named a team captain and the second kicker to be named team captain.  Punter Bob Bowstrom was named team captain in 1930. 

Nichols was named Second-Team All-AAC and All-East in 2021, as he finished the year with 73 points making 15 of his 19 field goal attempts and all 28 of his extra points.  He has made three game-winning field goals in his career – 48 yards vs. Tulane in 2019, 23 yards vs. Kansas State in the 2019 Liberty Bowl and a 33-yard field goal vs. Tulane in 2020.  He also scored the deciding points in the Mids' 2020 win over Temple with a career-long 50-yard field goal.  Nichols is tied for third on Navy's all-time career extra points made list (105), second on the career field goals leader board (33) and second on the career list for most points scored by a kicker (204). 
 
Navy opens up the 2022 campaign on Sept. 3 vs. Delaware.  Navy has five games this year at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and plays host to Notre Dame on Nov. 12 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.