Feb. 6, 2002
Audio
John L. Smith's Press Conference
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -
University of Louisville head football
coach John L. Smith announced this afternoon the following 23 student-athletes
have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their educations and play
football for the Cardinals.
Smith and his staff rate this recruiting class,
made up of 18 true freshmen-to-be, four junior college additions and one D-I
transfer, as one the strongest ever at U of L.
"This recruiting class allowed us to shore
up the depth at some positions while also addressing some immediate needs,"
said Smith. "The staff and our players did a tremendous job of selling our
program to these young men. They should be commended for all of their hard
work."
The Cardinals are coming off a 2001 campaign that
saw them post a school-record 11 wins (11-2 overall, 6-1 C-USA), capture their
second consecutive Conference USA title and advance to a fourth consecutive
post-season bowl appearance in as many years under the tutelage of Smith and his
staff.
| Name |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown |
High
School / Junior College |
| Abe Brown |
DB |
6-3 |
200 |
Sarasota, Fla. |
Booker HS |
| Edrik Contreras* |
OL |
6-1 |
310 |
Vista, Calif. |
Palomar CC |
| Brandon Cornell |
DE/TE |
6-4 |
242 |
Kenton, Ohio |
Kenton HS |
| Elvis Dumervil |
DE |
6-0 |
240 |
Miami, Fla. |
Miami-Jackson HS |
| Renardo Foster |
TE/DE |
6-6 |
250 |
Ripley, Tenn. |
Ripley HS |
| Brinson Harley |
OL/DL |
6-1 |
278 |
Seale, Ala. |
Russell County HS |
| Emanuel Hassell |
WR |
5-10 |
165 |
Memphis, Tenn. |
Whitehaven HS |
| James Jackson |
LB/WR |
6-1 |
220 |
Covington, Ky. |
Holmes HS |
| Chad Jorgensen |
TE |
6-6 |
220 |
Goshen, Ky. |
San Marcus Academy |
| Phil Minafield |
DB/WR |
5-11 |
175 |
Gainesville, Fla. |
Buchholz HS |
| Kurt Quarterman |
OL |
6-5 |
350 |
Albany, Ga. |
Westover HS |
| Justin Rascati |
QB |
6-2 |
210 |
Gainesville, Fla. |
Buchholz HS |
| Jimmy Riley |
WR |
6-1 |
190 |
Youngstown, Ohio |
Ursuline HS |
| Matt Sanders |
LB |
6-2 |
222 |
Louisville, Ky. |
Male HS |
| Eric Shelton* |
RB |
6-3 |
230 |
Lexington, Ky. |
Bryan Station HS / Florida State |
| Kraig Shelton |
DL |
6-5 |
265 |
Vandalia, Ohio |
Butler Senior HS |
| Gavin Smart |
WR |
5-9 |
177 |
Lakeland, Fla. |
Lakeland HS |
| Jerry Spencer* |
OL |
6-3 |
310 |
Eagle Springs, N.C. |
East Central CC |
| Dontay Spillman |
WR |
6-0 |
185 |
Louisville, Ky. |
Valley HS / East Central CC |
| Jimmy Strong |
CB |
6-0 |
173 |
Gibsonton, Fla. |
East Bay HS |
| Michael
Sturgeon |
C |
6-3 |
270 |
Louisville, Ky. |
St. Xavier HS |
| P.J. Tavarczky |
OL |
6-3 |
275 |
Carmel, Ind. |
Carmel HS |
| James Taylor* |
WR |
6-2 |
185 |
Garfield Heights, Ohio |
Garfield Heights HS / Fort Scot JC |
| * denotes
mid-year addition. Student-athlete is enrolled at U of L and is
eligible to participate in spring practice |
Abe Brown
DB * 6-3 * 200
Sarasota, Fla. (Booker High School)
With great size, a nose for the
ball and excellent speed, Brown is viewed as a terrific prospect at safety ...
rated the No. 10 safety in the country by Rivals.com and No. 12 by Student
Sports Magazine ... recorded 101 tackles, including 51 solo stops, and
blocked five punts and one field goal as a senior ... also saw spot duty at wide
receiver, finishing the season with six receptions for 130 yards and three
touchdowns ... a four-year varsity starter, he tallied 14 interceptions during
his prep career ... team compiled a 25-7 record in his four years ... earned
first team all-state and all-area honors and was named team defensive MVP as a
senior ... as a junior was named first team all-area, second team all-state and
was a four-time player of the week ... earned third team all-state and third
team all-area honors as a sophomore ... holds Booker's single game records for
interceptions (3) and tackles (18), the season record for tackles (101) and
career record for punt blocks (4).
Edrik Contreras
OL * 6-1 * 310
Vista, Calif. (Palomar CC)
Originally signed with San Jose
State out of high school and played only one season at Palomar CC ... has three
seasons of eligibility remaining ... earned first team All-Mission Conference
honors after leading his team to a 10-2 record and a trip to the state
championship game.
Brandon Cornell
DE/TE * 6-4 * 242
Kenton, Ohio (Kenton High School)
Rated as the No. 18 prospect at
tight end by Student Sports Magazine ... team compiled a 36-9 record
during his four seasons, including a 15-0 record and a state championship during
his senior year ... pulled down 96 catches for 1,578 yards and 17 touchdowns as
a senior ... also notched 127 tackles, including 43 for a loss, and snagged four
interceptions during final prep campaign ... caught 33 passes for 600 yards and
11 touchdowns offensively as a junior and had 67 tackles, including 13 for a
loss, on the defensive side of the ball ... caught 20 passes for 300 yards and
had 48 tackles, nine for a loss, and two interceptions as a sophomore ... holds
school record with 28 career touchdown catches ... awarded first team all-state
and league offensive and defensive MVP honors during senior campaign ... named
the Northern Ohio Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press as a
senior ... will play in the Northwest Ohio All-Star game and the Big 33 game.
Elvis Dumervil
DE * 6-0 * 240
Miami, Fla. (Miami-Jackson High School)
Rated as the No. 25 prospect at
defensive end by Student Sports Magazine ... three-year starter and a
tenacious pass rusher who is considered one of the best pass rushing prospects
from the state of Florida ... tallied a school-record 78 sacks over his prep
career ... tallied 110 tackles and 30 sacks, forced three fumbles and recovered
another four while winning team defensive MVP honors as a senior ... notched 96
tackles and 30 sacks, forced five fumbles and recovered another two en route to
overall team MVP honors for a 9-5 squad which reached the state semifinals
during his junior campaign ... as a sophomore had 18 sacks and 40 tackles with
five fumble recoveries for a 9-2 squad that was ranked No. 1 heading into the
state playoffs ... earned first team all-state and all-district honors as a
junior and senior ... selected to play in the CaliFlorida All-Star game ...
awarded Mr. Jackson High School honors as a senior ... a half-brother of current
Cardinal safety Curry Burns.
Renardo Foster
TE/DE * 6-6 * 250
Ripley, Tenn. (Ripley High School)
Recorded 49 tackles, including 39
solo stops, and nine tackles for a loss as a senior ... also tallied four sacks,
forced four fumbles and recovered another three as a senior ... pulled
down 31 passes for 403 yards and six touchdowns during senior campaign ... named
to the all-region and All-West Tennessee teams as a junior and senior ... as a
senior was awarded team scholastic award and offensive MVP honors ... named team's
best blocker as a junior.
Brinson Harley
OL/DL * 6-1 * 278
Seale, Ala. (Russell County High School)
As a senior offensive lineman
averaged four pancake blocks a game ... as a defensive lineman accounted for 88
tackles, including 53 solo stops, 12 sacks and 27 quarterback hurries ... was
awarded all bi-city honors and was a second team all-state selection as a senior
... as a junior was named second team all bi-city ... selected to play in the
2001 North/South Alabama All-Star game.
Emanuel Hassell
WR * 5-10 * 165
Memphis, Tenn. (Whitehaven High School)
Caught 36 passes for 900 yards and
eight touchdowns while leading his team to a 10-2 record and a conference
championship during his senior prep campaign ... accounted for 952 yards on 49
catches with six touchdowns as a junior for an 11-2 team which advanced to the
state quarterfinals ... three-year letterwinner ... earned Region 85A first team
honors, All-Shelby Metro City honors and all-state honors as a junior and senior
... named team offensive MVP as a senior ... three-year letterwinner in track
and field ... posted the fastest time in the 100 meters (10.5) in the Shelby
Metro area during junior track season.
James Jackson
LB/WR * 6-1 * 220
Covington, Ky. (Holmes High School)
Three-year letterwinner who helped
lead his team to a 23-9 record during his prep career ... notched 489 tackles,
including 89 for a loss, 21 sacks, eight interceptions (three returned for
touchdowns) and six punt blocks during prep career ... led his team with 108
solo tackles and 32 assists as a senior ... also notched nine sacks, forced six
fumbles, had four interceptions, six pass breakups, three blocked punts and a
fumble recovery during his senior campaign ... caught six passes for 200 yards
and two touchdowns as a senior ... named Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference
Linebacker of the Year as a junior and senior ... earned Northern Kentucky
Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors and was named the Insight Channel
6 Player of the Year as a senior ... named first team all-state by the Lexington
Herald-Leader and the Courier-Journal as a senior ... awarded team
MVP honors as a senior ... holds the state record with six career punt blocks
... selected to play in the Northern Kentucky and Kentucky-Florida all-star
games.
Chad Jorgensen
TE * 6-6 * 220
Goshen, Ky. (San Marcus Academy)
A four-year starter on offense and
defense ... a big target with good hands ... caught 45 passes for 1,023 yards
and 18 touchdowns as a senior and 15 passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns as
a junior ... defensively as a senior led the team with 146 tackles and 18 sacks
... listed as the No. 3 tight end and named to the Texas Football Magazine
Superteam prior to his senior campaign ... named first team all-state and
all-district as a junior and senior ... owns school single game records for
receiving yards (235) and touchdowns (4) ... all-state and district MVP in
basketball and finished second in state in the discus while competing in track
and field during junior prep campaign ... attended San Marcus Academy in San
Marcos, Texas, but is a resident of Goshen, Ky.
Phil Minafield
DB/WR * 5-11 * 174
Gainesville, Fla. (Buchholz High School)
A three-year starter who is known
as a big hitter despite small frame ... notched 105 tackles, including 68 solo
stops, seven interceptions and four touchdown-saving tackles as a senior ...
also caught 15 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns in spot duty as a receiver
... led his team to a 12-1 record and the regional finals en route to first team
all-state honors as a senior ... prep teammate of fellow Cardinal recruit Justin
Rascati.
Kurt Quarterman
OL * 6-5 * 350
Albany, Ga. (Westover High School)
Monstrous offensive lineman with
good agility for his size ... three-year starter ... earned All-Metro Conference
second team honors as a senior when Westover posted a 3-7 record ... two-time
defending state champion in both the shot put and discus heading into his
senior track campaign ... notched a school and region record in the discus as a
junior.
Justin Rascati
QB * 6-2 * 210
Gainesville, Fla. (Buchholz High School)
The Gainesville Sun's 2001
Class 3A-5A player of the year ... eclipsed the school's career marks of
former Florida Gator and current Washington Redskins quarterback Doug Johnson by
throwing for 2,223 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior ... those numbers allowed
him to become the first Buchholz player to pass for more than 5,000 yards (he
had 5,033) and 40 touchdowns (he finished with 45) ... was the leader of a team
that spent more than half the season ranked atop the 5A poll ... led his team to
a 12-1 record and the regional finals as a senior ... named first team all-state
as a junior and senior ... chosen to play in the Florida-Georgia All-Star game
... named first team all-state in basketball as a junior ... prep teammate of
fellow Cardinal recruit Phil Minafield.
Jimmy Riley
WR * 6-1 * 190
Youngstown, Ohio (Ursuline High School)
Accounted for 800 yards on 32
catches and eight touchdowns as senior ... caught 58 passes for 1,472 yards and
18 touchdowns while leading Ursuline to the state championship as a junior ...
holds every receiving record at Ursuline ... ranks No. 15 in the state of Ohio
for career receiving yards ... named all-conference as a junior and senior ...
earned team offensive MVP honors as a senior ... earned the Young Talent
Vindicator Award ... also returned punts and kickoffs.
Matt Sanders
LB * 6-2 * 222
Louisville, Ky. (Male High School)
Team compiled a 50-8 record during
his prep career ... played in the state championship game three of four years,
winning state titles in 2000 and 1998 ... due to injury, played in only four
games as a senior, but recorded 20 tackles, two sacks and one interception ...
as a junior recorded 105 tackles, 12 sacks, one interception and forced two
fumbles ... earned all-district, all-county and honorable mention all-state
honors as a junior and senior ... named team's most outstanding defensive
player as a senior.
Eric Shelton
RB * 6-3 * 230
Lexington, Ky. (Bryan Station High School/Florida State)
At Florida State: Saw action in all
11 games ... ranked fourth on the Seminoles with 29 carries for 130 yards (4.5
avg).
At Bryan Station: First team USA Today
and Parade All-American ... a SuperPrep Elite 50 member ... selected All-America
by Reebok/ESPN ... BorderWars.com selected him among their Top 100 prospects ...
also made Rivals.com's Top 100 list ... tabbed by Atlanta Constitution
as a Super Southern selection ... named to Orlando Sentinel's
All-Southern team ... scored 32 touchdowns and averaged over 10 yards per carry
... rushed for 4,970 yards and 59 TD's over his career and was a two-time
state class 4A Player of the Year ... totaled 129 tackles, 41 tackles for losses
and 11 QB sacks during his prep career at linebacker ... also played defensive
end ... has a 36-inch vertical leap and bench presses 350 pounds ... an
all-state track performer competing in the high hurdles, triple jump and 4x100
relay.
Kraig Shelton
DL * 6-5 * 265
Vandalia, Ohio (Butler Senior High School)
Three-year letterwinner who broke
into the starting lineup as a sophomore ... notched a team-high 13 sacks, 95
tackles and 15 quarterback hurries as a senior to anchor a defense which allowed
a conference-best 11.3 points per game ... his senior squad posted a 13-2 record
and finished second in the conference while notching district and regional
championships on the way to the state semifinal game ... his junior squad posted
a 12-2 record and won conference and district titles while advancing to the
state regional finals ... named first team all-conference, first team all-area
and first team all-district as a junior and senior ... named honorable mention
all-state as a senior ... also played offensive tackle as a senior.
Gavin Smart
WR * 5-9 * 177
Lakeland, Fla. (Lakeland High School)
An accomplished wideout and kick returner who led Lakeland
to a 35-3 record as a three-year starter ... helped lead Lakeland to a perfect
15-0 record and a state title as a sophomore ... rushed for 875 yards, caught 10
passes for 300 yards and broke into the end zone 17 times as a senior ... rushed
for 1,248 yards as a junior ... had a 95-yard kickoff return and three punt
returns for touchdowns (98, 95 and 60 yards) as a senior ... had two 99-yard and
a 96-yard kickoff return for touchdowns and one 58-yard punt return for a
touchdown as a sophomore ... holds school records for longest kickoff return
for a touchdown (99 yards), longest punt return for a touchdown (98 yards) and
most career returns for touchdowns (8) ... selected as first team all-county and
honorable mention all-state as a senior ... named second team all-state as a
junior ... invited to the 2001 Down Under Bowl in Australia, but was unable to
attend.
Jerry Spencer
6-3 * 310 * OL
Eagle Springs, N.C. (East Central CC)
NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American ... rated as the No. 89 junior college
prospect by JCFootball.com ... a two-year starter on an offensive line that
ranked among the state's leaders in rushing and total offense while posting
6-4 records in each of the past two seasons ... under the tutelage of head coach
Terry Underwood, Spencer blossomed into one of the top offensive lineman in the
Mississippi Junior College League ... as a sophomore, Spencer earned first-team
all-state and all-region honors and was named the Southern Division's top
offensive lineman after helping to lead his team to the semifinal game of the
state playoffs ... a starter in all 11 games as a freshman at East Central,
Spencer was the anchor of an offensive line which produced the state's top
rushing offense, while also ranking second in total offense ... teammate at East
Central of fellow transfer Dontay Spillman.
Dontay Spillman
WR * 6-0 * 185
Louisville, Ky. (Valley High School/East Central CC)
Major contributor for a team which
ranked among the state leaders in total offense while posting 6-4 records in
each of the past two seasons ... totaled 1,398 yards on 82 receptions with 12
touchdowns in only 19 games during his two-year career at East Central ... named
first team All-Mississippi CC by NJCAA.com as a sophomore ... as a sophomore was
selected first team all-state and all-region ... as a freshman returned three
punts for touchdowns ... played in the Mississippi Junior All-Star game where he
earned offensive MVP honors ... teammate at East Central of fellow transfer
Jerry Spencer.
Jimmy Strong
CB * 6-0 * 173
Gibsonton, Fla. (East Bay High School)
Played only one season of prep
football ... notched 34 tackles, including 27 solo stops, three pass breakups
and 10 interceptions for an 8-3 team which claimed the Western Conference title
and advanced to the state playoffs ... that team ranked in the top 10 of the 5A
state rankings for five weeks ... his 10 interceptions ranked among the state
leaders ... named first team All-Western Conference and first team All-Tampa Bay
Area by the Tampa Tribune ... was a starter in the Hillsborough County
All-Star Game ... the team's second-leading scorer with eight touchdowns on
the year despite seeing only spot duty on offense ... caught four passes for 158
yards and two touchdowns and rushed 38 times for 370 yards and six touchdowns
... also notched a passing touchdown ... averaged 25.5 yards on six kickoff
returns and 16.2 yards on five punt returns ... also an accomplished basketball
player, he averaged 21.2 points as a junior and 20.3 points as a senior.
Michael Sturgeon
C * 6-3 * 270
Louisville, Ky. (St. Xavier High School)
Three-year starter at St. Xavier
where he led his team to a 34-5 record ... helped lead St. Xavier to a 14-1
record and a state title during his sophomore campaign ... earned second team
all-state and first team all-region honors as a senior ... earned first team
all-district, first team all-region and honorable mention all-state honors as a
junior ... was also the team's long-snapper.
P.J. Tavarczky
OL * 6-3 * 275
Carmel, Ind. (Carmel High School)
Picked as one of Indiana's top 33
players by the Bloomington Herald ... ranked as one of the state's top
50 players by Indiana coaches ... team posted a 19-7 record his two seasons as a
starter ... helped lead his team to a 9-4 record and a sectional championship as
a senior when his team averaged 225 rushing yards per game ... anchored an
offense which averaged 260 rushing yards a game his junior season ... earned
first team all-state, first team all-conference and first team all-county honors
as a senior ... named first team all-state and honorable mention all-county as a
junior ... picked to play in the Indiana North/South All-Star game.
James Taylor
WR * 6-2 * 185
Garfield Heights, Ohio (Garfield Heights HS/Fort Scott JC)
At Fort Scott JC: The No. 3-ranked
junior college prospect at wide receiver according to JCFootball.com ... under
the tutelage of head coach Kevin Verdugo, Taylor blossomed into one of the top
wide receivers in the junior college ranks ... as a sophomore, Taylor was an
NJCAA Second Team All-American and a NJCAA All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College
Conference first team selection and was ranked as the No. 18 junior college
prospect by JCFootball.com ...with 30 catches for 594 yards and five touchdowns
in only six games in 2001, Taylor ranked fourth among junior college receivers
with five catches per game. At Garfield Heights HS: Named to Cleveland's `Best
of the Best' team twice while also earning first team all-county and all-state
honors his junior and senior campaigns ... under head coach Chuck Reisland,
Taylor established nine school records, including catches in a game (12), season
(70) and career (158), receiving yards in a game (227), season (1,044) and
career (2,619), and touchdown catches in a game (5), season (15) and career
(35).
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