GREELEY, COLO. ? Former Northern Colorado backup punter Mitch Cozad was sentenced to seven years in prison Tuesday for stabbing a rival in what prosecutors said was a brutal attempt to take over the starter’s role.

“Clearly, this was deliberate to hurt him, and you succeeded,” Weld County District Judge Marcelo Kopcow told Cozad as he announced the sentence.

Prosecutors said Cozad ambushed starting punter Rafael Mendoza on the night of Sept. 11, 2006. Mendoza was left with a deep gash in his kicking leg but later returned to the team.

Cozad was convicted in August of second-degree assault but acquitted of the more serious charge of attempted first-degree murder.

The 22-year-old Cozad, of Wheatland, Wyo., faced up to 16 years in prison on the assault conviction.

Mendoza testified he could not see who attacked him in the dimly lighted parking lot. The assailant was dressed in black from head to toe and had a hood cinched up so only the eyes were visible.