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19 Sign Letters of Intent to Continue Education and Play Football at U of L
John L. Smith comments on his new recruits.
Feb. 7, 2001 LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville head football coach John L. Smith announced this afternoon the following 19 student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their educations and play football for the Cardinals. This year's class is made up of 17 true freshmen-to-be and two junior college additions. This signing class joins three mid-year JC transfers and one mid-year freshman addition -- Wilbur Benson of San Francisco City College, Brook Emelio (Fr.) of Los Angeles Valley College, Keeshan Lowe of Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Junior College and Chris Thigpen of Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) JC -- already enrolled at U of L as newcomers to the Cardinals. "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 2000 campaign that saw them post a 9-3 overall record, capture their first Conference USA title and advance to a third consecutive post-season bowl appearance in as many years under the tutelege of Smith and his staff.
Wilbur Benson A first-team California JC All-American following the 2000 season as selected by the California Community College Football Coaches Association ... first-team All-America selection by JC Gridwire ... four interceptions including one return for TD for SFCC in 2000 ... SFCC finished the '99 and '00 seasons with a combined 24-0 mark with Benson in the secondary ... allowed just 29 receptions in his two seasons of JC ball ... honorable mention All-America in '99 intercepting a pair of passes ... three-year letterman at Hopkinsville High School ... two-year starter who helped Hopkinsville to a pair of state final appearances ... first-team all-state choice by Louisville Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader following his senior season ... selected the Cardinals over San Diego State, Oregon and Southern California. Broderick
Clark Three-year varsity letterwinner at Parker High School ... versatile performer as a prep player, seeing action at quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back and as a kick/punt returner ... combined for 11 touchdowns as a senior ... intercepted five passes in his final prep season ... two-time all-state choice ... letterwinner in track and basketball as well ... member of 6A state champion 4X400 relay team in '99-00 ... finished second at 6A state finals in the 4X800 relay ... currently averaging 10 points a game on the hardwood ... selected U of L over North Carolina State, Southern Miss and Alabama. Adam Ellis Passed for more than 1,600 yards as a senior with a school record 17 touchdowns ... rushed for another 772 yards with 11 scores ... guided Russell County to its first-ever state playoff victory ... honorable mention all-state choice by Louisville Courier Journal ... two-time all-district selection ... a three-year starter who passed for nearly 5,000 yards in his career ... owner of 43 prep TD passes ... will finish his fourth varsity season on the hardwood ... currently averaging 18 points a game ... an honor roll student ... two-year letterman in track, running the 200, 400 and 800 meters ... advanced to the regional level in the 800M as a sophomore ... father played wide receiver at Georgetown College ... chose the Cardinals over Purdue and Eastern Kentucky. Brook Emelio Mid-year freshman import who did not play football in 2000 ... four-year varsity competitor on the gridiron during his prep days ... played three seasons at Montclair Prep before transferring to Bishop Alemany ... three-year starter on the offensive and defensive lines ... recorded 60 tackles to go with seven sacks as a senior guiding Bishop Alemany to an 8-2 record ... helped Bishop Alemany to the state quarterfinals in Division I in his final prep campaign ... also saw time as a goalkeeper on the soccer team ... selected U of L over San Diego State. Jon Gannon Selected all-Ohio first-team by Ohiopreps.com ... first-team all-Cleveland Plain Dealer ... two-year starter at cornerback and wide receiver ... picked off seven passes as a senior ... broke 14 passes in 2000 ... 30 total tackles as a senior for the Wildcats ... caught 47 passes for 887 yards and a school record 13 touchdowns ... second-team all-state choice in 2000 at DB by Associated Press ... named one of the top seniors in the state of Ohio by FoxSports.com ... helped St. Ignatius to Ohio big school state title in '99 ... five interceptions and 38 tackles as a DB to go with 11 receptions as a WR as a junior ... honorable mention all-Plain Dealer choice following his junior campaign ... three-year letterman in basketball and will earn his fourth letter this spring in track ... reached the regional finals in '00 in the 110-meter high hurdles and 300 intermediate hurdles ... currently averaging 12 points a game on the hardwood ... selected U of L over Colorado State, Northwestern, Kent State and Ohio University. Lionel Gates Rushed for better than 1,700 yards as a senior with 17 touchdowns ... helped Parker to an appearance in the Florida state playoffs as a senior ... named to the Florida Times-Union Super 24 ... third-team all-First Coast honoree by FTU ... 2000 Jacksonville Quarterback Club Player of the Year ... rushed for 1,350 yards with 14 touchdowns as a junior ... back-to-back all Northeast Florida second team honoree as a sophomore and junior ... rushed for more than 1,200 yards as a sophomore ... member of the athletic director's honor roll ... named one of the top seniors in the state of Florida by FoxSports.com... four-year letterman and three-year starter on the gridiron ... cousin of former Clemson linebacker and current Cleveland Brown Rahim Abdullah ... will earn his fourth letter in track this spring ... member of a regional champion 4X100 relay team in 2000 ... also runs the 100 meters ... selected U of L over Florida, Miami, Alabama and Syracuse. Brandon
Johnson Three-year varsity performer for Minor High on both sides of the football ... helped Minor to an 11-1 mark and into the second round of the Alabama state playoffs ... first-team all-metro choice by the Birmingham News ... honorable mention all-state at the 6A level by Birmingham News ... 80 tackles including 14 for loss as a senior ... added six pass breakups and four blocked kicks in his final prep campaign ... honorable mention all-metro choice as a junior ... guided Minor to a 6-4 mark in his junior season ... an honor roll student ... three-year member of the varsity basketball team ... currently averaging 12 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots per game ... selected U of L over UAB, Southern Miss and Tennessee State. Brent Johnson Four-year letterwinner on the gridiron ... opened career playing wide receiver and safety as a freshman and sophomore ... spent final two seasons at quarterback ... high school teammate of current Cardinal wideout Tiger Jones ... passed for more than 900 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior ... ran for four more scores to go with 600 rushing yards ... honorable mention all-area choice by the Mobile Register in 2000 ... helped St. Paul's to the state quarterfinals as a junior ... passed for more than 1,300 yards and 18 scores as a junior ... totaled eight rushing TDs in 1999 ... first-team all-region choice as a junior ... caught 27 passes for 730 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore ... earned two letters as a point guard in basketball averaging 11 assists per game as a junior ... led St. Paul's to the regional finals on the hardwood in '99-00 with a 26-5 mark ... honor roll student ... chose the Cardinals over UAB. Chris Johnson Honorable mention junior college All-America choice following his sophomore season at Blinn JC ... seven interceptions and a pair of blocked field goals in 2000 ... helped Blinn to a 5-4 record as a sophomore ... three-year starter in the secondary at Longview's Pinetree High School ... two-time all-district selection ... picked off 12 passes as a senior helping Pinetree to a 7-3 overall mark ... regional competitor in the 200, 4X100, long jump and triple jump during his prep days ... earned three letters in track and field ... selected the Cardinals over Houston, Arizona and Kansas. Caleb Leavitt Second-team all-First Coast honoree by the Florida Times-Union ... rated the 18th-best kicker in the nation by Rivals.com ... brother Gabe plays at Central Florida ... father Allan was an all-Southeastern Conference kicker at the University of Georgia and played briefly with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... helped Bolles to an 11-1 record and into the second round of the 2000 Florida playoffs ... named the state's top punter by Florida Prep Football ... third-team all-Florida 5A choice by the Florida Sports Writers Association ... scored 65 points converting 56 of 58 PAT and three of five field goals ... nailed a long field goal of 45 yards in 2000 ... averaged 39.4 yards per punt as a senior ... kicked for Mandarin High School as a junior making five of six field goals in 1999 ... member of the athletic director's honor roll ... named one of the top seniors in the state of Florida by FoxSports.com... chose the Cardinals over Wisconsin, Georgia and Virginia Tech. Travis Leffew Guided Boyle County to its third consecutive state title ... will join older brother Bobby on the Cardinal roster ... collected 101 tackles as a senior including an impressive 21 for loss ... excelled on both sides of the line ... named to the Louisville Courier-Journal's all-state first team each of the past two seasons ... first-team all-Kentucky choice on both sides of the football as selected by the Associated Press ... chosen for the all-Southern Team by Orlando Sentinel ... picked by the Lexington Herald Leader as one of Kentucky's top 22 senior gridiron players ... eight tackles, four for loss in his final prep game, a state championship victory ... two-time USA Today honorable mention All-America ... named one of the top seniors in the state of Kentucky by FoxSports.com ... selected U of L over Kentucky. Keeshan Lowe Standout defender for Copiah-Lincoln JC ... totaled 47 tackles and seven sacks in 2000 ... participated in the Mississippi JC all-star game ... an all-state JC honoree on the defensive line ... four-year varsity starter at Hazelhurst High School on the offensive and defensive line ... participated in the Mississippi North /South Game following his senior season ... recorded 11 sacks among his 66 tackles as a senior ... added an interception in his final prep campaign ... all-district choice as a senior ... helped Hazelhurst to its first state playoff appearance in more than 20 years ... selected U of L over Mississippi State. Charles
"Bubba" Marshall Honorable mention all-state performer as selected by the Louisville Courier Journal ... named among Kentucky's top 22 high school seniors by the Lexington Herald Leader ... a three-year starter and four-year letterman ... Harrison County reached Kentucky state playoffs in each of his four varsity seasons ... all-district selection as a junior and senior ... recorded 55 tackles and six sacks as a senior ... added five pass breakups and three fumble recoveries in 2000 ... allowed just one sack as a senior from his offensive tackle position ... earned one letter in wrestling ... missed advancing to state finals in shot put by two inches as a junior ... registered 50 tackles as a junior ... helped Harrison County to a 12-1 record and a berth in the regional finals as a senior ... chose the Cardinals over Marshall. Fred Nolan An all-Volusia County choice by the Orlando Sentinel ... also earned all-state 3A designation ... opened holes for 1,500-yard rusher during the 2000 campaign ... joins former Seabreeze teammate Victor Glenn on the Cardinal roster ... three-year varsity starter ... played both ways as a senior ... helped Seabreeze to three playoff appearances in his three varsity seasons ... honorable mention all-county and all-Five Star Conference choice as a junior ... honor roll student ... selected the Cardinals over UAB, South Florida and Bowling Green. Chad Rimpsey Three-year letterman and two-year starter for Oxford High School ... nominated to play in the 2001 Alabama / Mississippi all-star game ... honorable mention all-county selection as a senior ... helped Oxford to a 7-4 record and the second round of the Alabama state playoffs ... finished senior season with 110 tackles and three forced fumbles ... returned one fumble for a score in 2000 ... blocked one punt in 2000 ... member of the track team as a sophomore running the 400 meters and 4X400 ... led Oxford to a 6-4 mark in '99 including a trip to the Alabama state playoffs ... registered 130 tackles and an interception as a junior ... honor roll student ... selected U of L over UAB, Tennessee Tech, Troy State and Middle Tennessee State. Jeremy Seguin Second-team all-First Coast honoree by the Florida Times-Union ... recorded 43 solo tackles in his final prep campaign ... five sacks among his 83 total stops as a senior ... helped Bolles to an 11-1 mark and an appearance in the state high school playoffs ... moved to the Jacksonville area with his family from the Pittsburgh area prior to '00 school year ... as a junior collected 54 tackles and six sacks for Seneca Valley High School as a defensive tackle ... named to the all-AAAA North Region second team ... helped Seneca Valley to a state playoff appearance in '99 ... honorable mention all-region choice as a junior ... totaled three varsity letters on the gridiron as a prep player ... selected U of L over Indiana, Missouri, Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh. Jason Spitz A first-team all-First Coast selection by the Florida Times-Union ... finished 2000 season with 10 sacks ... totaled 56 tackles as a senior ... second-team all-state by the Florida Times-Union in 2000 ... opened prep career at Wilson High School ... recorded 50 tackles and a pair of sacks as a junior ... member of the Bolles' weightlifting squad with a 425 bench press and 650 squat ... advanced to the regional level as a junior in the shot put and discus ... father played football at Yale ... picked the Cardinals over South Carolina, Kansas State, Connecticut and Auburn. Avious
Stallworth Honorable mention all-6A choice at defensive back by the Birmingham News following his senior season ... four-year varsity starter at Wenonah High ... rushed for better than 1,200 yards with 15 touchdowns as a senior ... added 89 tackles and five sacks on the defensive side of the football in 2000 ... all-metro selection by Birmingham News ... earned the Birmingham Quarterback Club Team Leader award ... all-metro choice as a junior ... rushed for more than 1,000 yards in '99 with 11 touchdowns ... three-year starter in basketball ... currently averaging 18 points and five rebounds ... member of the athletic director's honor roll ... chose U of L over Southern Miss and Mississippi State. Montavious
Stanley Rated No. 33 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com ... four-year starter at Dougherty High School along the defensive line ... nominated to play in the annual Florida / Georgia and Georgia North / South game ... recorded 112 tackles as a senior despite missing three games with a rib injury ... added 11 sacks in 2000 ... a two-time all Southwest Georgia selection ... registered 15 sacks as a junior on his way to all-region, all-metro and all-Southwest Georgia honors ... earned his first of three all-metro and all-region honors as a sophomore ... helped Dougherty to a 3A state title in 1998 with a 13-2 mark ... four-year member of the varsity basketball team ... averages 10 points and 12 rebounds a contest ... member of back-to-back Georgia basketball final four squads in '99 and '00 ... chose U of L over Tennessee and Georgia. Chris Thigpen Originally signed with South Carolina out of high school ... an all-state JC choice in 2000 for Copiah-Lincoln... four-year starter at tight end at Fairfield Central (S.C.) High School ... prep team posted a 30-0 record with a pair of 3A state titles in his junior and senior seasons ... consensus all-state choice at tight end following his senior season ... No. 2 rated player in the state of South Carolina as a senior ... played in the annual North Carolina / South Carolina Shrine All-Star Game ... Fairfield Central made four final four state appearances in his four varsity seasons ... selected U of L over Mississippi State, LSU and Auburn. Greg Tinch Highly-rated recruit who will compete on both the gridiron and hardwood for the Cardinals ... did not compete on the gridiron as a senior ... played both ways as a junior ... turned in 48 tackles with five interceptions in 1999 to go along with four sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries ... as a wideout, caught 50 passes for 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns ... rated among the top 100 basketball recruits in the nation ... rated as the nation's #13 small forward by recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons ... averaging nearly 20 points and 13 rebounds a game for Westover along with three blocked shot per contest ... has led Westover to a No. 2 state ranking among AAA schools on the hardwood ... selected U of L over Seton Hall, Colorado, Alabama and Tennessee. Michale
Troupe Cousin of current Cardinal speedster Zek Parker ... hailed from the same high school as Parker and graduating senior captain Rashad Harris ... first-team all-Alabama choice at 5A level by the Alabama Sportswriters Association in '99 and '00 as an ATH ... played running back, defensive back, quarterback and kick return specialist as a prep player ... two-time all-region and all-district choice ... helped Athens to three consecutive state playoff appearances ... rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior ... added 960 yards through the air with nine TDs ... two interceptions and 50 tackles in limited duty on the defensive side of the ball in 2000 ... ran for 20 TDs as a junior to go with eight interceptions ... Athens H.S. posted a 21-5 mark over his final two seasons ... four-year letterman in hoops ... helped Athens to a final 16 appearance as a junior on the hardwood ... selected U of L over North Alabama, Alabama A&M and Tennessee Tech. Kayjaei
Williams Two-year starter at defensive back for El Camino JC ... first-team all-California selection following the 2000 season ... helped El Camino to a 17-5 mark over his two seasons ... totaled 91 tackles to go with three interceptions as a sophomore ... earned El Camino's Coaches' Award on defense for the 2000 season ... blocked six field goals in his junior college career including three in 2000 ... 40 tackles and two interceptions as a freshman ... did not compete in football while a student at Torrance's Central High School ... selected U of L over Arkansas and Texas Tech.
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