FOUR CAA FOOTBALL PLAYERS SELECTED IN NFL DRAFT DAY TWO
NEW YORK, N.Y. (April 29, 2007) - Four CAA Football Conference players including Towson’s Jermon Bushrod, New Hampshire’s Corey Graham, Maine’s Daren Stone and Delaware’s Ben Patrick were selected Sunday during day two of the National Football League’s 2007 Draft in New York, N.Y. The four drafted players mark the most selected from the conference in eight years as five were taken in the 1999 NFL Draft.
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| Towson's Jermon Bushrod |
Bushrod, an offensive lineman for the Tigers taken by the New Orleans Saints at the 125th spot overall (4th round), was the highest drafted student-athlete from the conference since Villanova’s Brian Westbrook was selected 91st by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002. Bushrod was a three-time All-Conference selection and started the final 37 games of his college career. The King George, Va., native helped Towson’s offense to the league lead in passing last season. Bushrod is the first Towson player to be drafted since the Tigers joined the league in 2004, and the first since former Tiger Tony Vinson was picked by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 1994 draft. The Saints organization has now drafted four CAA Football Conference athletes, as Bushrod is the second in as many seasons after New Orleans took Hofstra’s Marques Colston in the seventh round in 2006.
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| New Hampshire's Corey Graham |
Graham, a fifth-round selection by the Chicago Bears, is the 15th Wildcat taken since they joined the league in 1947. The Buffalo, N.Y., native is the first New Hampshire player drafted since Jerry Azumah, the 1998 Walter Payton Award winner, was taken by the Bears in 1999. Following his junior season Graham was a 2005 First Team All-Conference honoree as both a kick returner and defensive back. He ranked eighth in the country with a 25.1 yard return average as a junior, and had recorded a career-best 110 tackles as a sophomore during the previous season. He wrapped up his career with 12 interceptions and 302 career tackles, which places him fourth on New Hampshire’s all-time career tackles list. The Bears organization has now drafted four CAA Football Conference athletes, as Graham is the first since Jamin Elliott (Delaware) in 2002.
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| Maine's Daren Stone |
Stone, a sixth-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons, is the 13th Black Bear taken in the NFL Draft since Maine joined the league in 1947. The Lockport, N.Y., native is the second Maine student-athlete drafted in as many years after Kevin McMahan was taken as the final pick in 2006 by the Oakland Raiders. Stone, a Second Team All-Conference honoree in 2006, ranked among the nation’s top-100 in sacks per game (.40) as a safety. He finished last season with 50 tackles, including 7.5 for loss and four sacks, on a defense which ranked second in the league in total defense and first in the conference in rush defense. The Falcons organization has now taken three CAA Football Conference athletes, as Stone is the first since Rhode Island’s Sylvester McGee in 1974.
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| Delaware's Ben Patrick |
Patrick, a seventh-round selection by the Arizona Cardinals, is the sixth Blue Hen taken by the National Football League since Delaware joined the conference in 1986. The Savannah, Ga., native is also the first Blue Hen drafted by the NFL since quarterback Andy Hall and defensive end Shawn Johnson were taken in the 2004 draft. The tight end was a consensus 2006 First Team All-American by the Associated Press, Walter Camp, The Sports Network, and the American Football Coaches Association. Patrick also earned All-Conference honors at tight end after wracking up a 5.82 reception per game average, which was tops among all NCAA Bowl Subdivision and Championship Subdivision tight ends during the regular season. The Cardinals organization has now drafted four CAA Football Conference athletes, as Patrick is the first since Mike Foley (New Hampshire) in 1996.
NORTHEASTERN FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
Northeastern Kendrick Ballantyne signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens Monday, April 30, after hauling in 39 passes, including seven touchdowns, in 2006. The Gorham, Maine, native was a Second Team All-Conference and All-New England in 2006. He led the team in receptions and with 655 receiving yards. The tight end caught two of his seven touchdown passes in a 36-35 upset of No. 6 New Hampshire on Oct. 21, including one on fourth down in overtime which set up the victory.
JAMES MADISON FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
James Madison’s Alvin Banks agreed to free agent terms with the New York Jets. The running back played in 39 games for the Dukes and completed his career ranked third in team history in rushing yards (2,694) and attempts (551), as well as fifth in rushing touchdowns (28). He had 57 career receptions, the No. 2 mark all time for a JMU running back, and is the program's No. 5 career scorer (194 points). He had 11 career 100-yard rushing games, JMU's No. 4 all-time mark, and in 2005 was a Second Team All-Conference and First Team All-Virginia Division I by the Roanoke Times and the state's sports information directors.
The Dukes’ offensive lineman Corey Davis inked a free agent deal with the Buffalo Bills. The Hampton, Va., native started all but one of JMU’s 50 games during his four-year career with the Dukes. In 2006 he was a First Team All-America by the Walter Camp Foundation, Second Team by The Sports Network and Third Team by Associated Press. He was also First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Virginia Division I by the Roanoke Times and the state's sports information directors.
James Madison’s Akeem Jordan signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, after winning the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2006. The linebacker was a starter during his final two JMU years, and played in each of the Dukes' 50 games during his four college seasons. In 2006, he was runner-up for the Buck Buchanan Award as the nation's top defensive player, and was among Virginia's top Division I players as selected by the state's sports information directors. After taking part in 140 tackles, he was College Sporting News' national defensive player, First Team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association, the Walter Camp Foundation, The Sports Network and Football Gazette. Jordan also logged Second Team All-America honors from Associated Press last season.
Justin Rascati was the last of four JMU players to sign free agent deals following the NFL Draft. The Gainesville, Fla., native inked with the Chicago Bears Monday, April 30. The Duke’s quarterback started each game during his three years with the Dukes, and the team's 29 wins during that period is its most under any starting quarterback. He holds JMU career records for touchdown passes (51), passing percentage (.669), passing efficiency rating (154.9), and completions (487). He is second all-time among Dukes in passing yards (5,912) and touchdown responsibility (71), and he was intercepted only 16 times in 728 JMU passes. In 2006, he threw for a team season-record 20 touchdowns and was First Team All-Virginia Division I by the Roanoke Times and the state's sports information directors.
VILLANOVA FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
Villanova’s Christian Gaddis, who was a three-year starter at center for the Wildcats, signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills Tuesday. In 2006, The North Miami Beach, Fla., native garnered First Team All-Conference distinction as he helped the Villanova offense average 337.8 yards of total offense per game, including 143.3 rushing yards per contest and 194.5 passing yards per game.
The Wildcats’Terrance Reaves, who saw time at both safety and corner during his Wildcat career, inked a free-agent deal with the St. Louis Rams. In 2006, the Gibsonton, Fla., native tallied 50 tackles and a team-high seven pass break-ups from his corner position. He finished his Villanova career with 166 tackles, three interceptions, 11 pass break-ups, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Allyn Bacchus, a Hampton, Va., native signed a free-agent deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Bacchus, who started all 44 games of his career, recorded his best season in 2006 when he recorded a team-high 103 tackles and a team-best two interceptions. Following the final season of his career, the safety earned Third Team All-America honors from the Sports Network and was a First Team All-Conference selection. Bacchus’ career totals include 374 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and 13 pass break-ups.
MASSACHUSETTS FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
Massachusetts’ Brandon London inked a free-agent deal with the New York Giants, and will join former Minuteman cornerback R.J. Cobbs. London was an All-Conference wide receiver in 2006 in addition to being named an ECAC I-AA All-Star and Don Hansen All-Northeast Region Honorable Mention. He led UMass in receiving and yards in 2006 with 50 catches for 781 yards. He finished second all-time at UMass in career catches with 150 and third in career receiving yards with 2,022. He is also fourth in career TD catches with 15.
Minuteman running back Steve Baylark will join the tailback who leads him on every UMass career chart with the Arizona Cardinals -- Marcel Shipp. Baylark, who signed a free-agent contract with Arizona, Tuesday, was a Don Hansen and Sports Network I-AA/FCS Second Team All-American in addition to being named the League’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2006. He played in the East-West Shrine Game after gaining 1,960 yards as a senior. The senior captain tailback became the third player in Division I-AA history to have four 1,000-yard seasons joining both Jerry Azumah (New Hampshire, 1995-98) and Adrian Peterson (Georgia Southern 1996-99) with the honor. In his career, he gained 5,332 yards on 1,104 carries, both second to Shipp, who had 6,250 yards on 1,215 carries from 1997-2000.
UMass offensive lineman David Thompson started all 50 games of his career at right guard for the Minutemen, as he was named an All-Conference Second Team honoree in 2006. Thompson helped lead the way for Baylark as the tailback established new UMass marks. His 50 starts are tied for the most starts by a UMass player in a career, and he helped a UMass offensive line which allowed just 37 sacks over the past three seasons (37 games).
After a standout performance during the New York Jets’ Rookie Mini-Camp, UMass safety James Ihedigbo signed a free-agent contract with the franchise. As a senior in 2006, Ihedigbo was a First Team All-Conference honoree, a Walter Camp All-American and a First Team All-America selection by the Sports Network. He finished the season with 72 tackles which ranked sixth on the team along with 5.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, seven pass break-ups and three interceptions.
NEW HAMPSHIRE FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
New Hampshire’s David Ball, who signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago Bears earlier this week, had an amazing 2006 senior season for the Wildcats. The Orange, Vt., native received tremendous media coverage after breaking several NCAA receiving marks, including the I-AA record for touchdown receptions in a career which was previously held by NFL legend Jerry Rice. The former San Francisco 49er and future NFL Hall of Famer, caught 50 touchdown passes while playing his collegiate ball at Mississippi Valley State. Ball completed his career with 58 touchdown catches, and finished ranking second among the NCAA leaders with 4,655 receiving yards in his career. The UNH wide reciever tied Rice’s career mark for 100-yard receiving games with 23 in his four seasons in Durham. Ball led the league with 13 touchdown receptions in 2006, and was ranked among the Top-10 in the nation in nearly every receiving category. 2006 also marked his third-straight campaign with over 1,000 receiving yards after compiling 1,114 yards in 2006 and averaging 85.7 receiving yards per contest. In addition to being named an All-Conference First Team selection and All-America by numerous publications, Ball had his jersey number (#3) retired at the end of the season by the New Hampshire Athletic department.
The inaugural season of CAA Football begins Thursday, Aug. 30, when rivals Delaware and William & Mary face off at Walter J. Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va. Kickoff between the Blue Hens and Tribe is slated for 7:30 p.m., and will televised by CN8.