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National Signing Day
Bright and early on Wednesday morning, February 6, 2008, the fax machines were busy in the Estes Athletic Center on the campus of Fork Union Military Academy. It was National Signing Day once again, and for another year the undergraduate and postgraduate football programs were sending young men off to college with valuable scholarships.
More than thirty FUMA players signed national letters of intent to attend college in the fall, or were already enrolled in college when National Signing Day rolled around this year. More athletes are expected to make similar commitments in the days ahead.
The University of Georgia received a commitment from FUMA senior and prep team standout Marcus Dowtin. Coach Micky Sullivan's high school team placed at least six players in college programs, with the possibility of a couple of commitments still to come. Patrick Myrick, the senior quarterback committed to Washburn University of Topeka, perhaps the westernmost placement ever made by the undergraduate team. Germael Raspberry, OL/DL, will be FUMA's first player ever placed in the historic Tuskegee University program.
The postgraduate team, led by Coach John Shuman, continued its tradition of putting high quality players into top college programs. More than a dozen players made commitments to Division I-A programs, including one to the University of Virginia, three players to the University of South Carolina, three to Temple University, and two to Eastern Michigan University.
Prep schools like Fork Union Military Academy often get mischaracterized as being just "football factories" where good athletes with poor academic records can rehabilitate their grades and test scores to qualify for college programs. In fact, many players at FUMA were academically eligible but were under-recruited in high school due to injury or lack of national exposure. Dave Keisling, a defensive back, came to FUMA to rehabilitate an ACL injury and had an outstanding year, despite not being one-hundred percent physically. Keisling was invited this spring to walk on at the Penn State University football program and Coach Shuman predicts he will become an impact player in that program. Steve Brown, the high-motor linebacker out of St. Anne's-Belfield in Charlottesville, was able to translate his increased exposure at FUMA into a scholarship to Eastern Michigan.
Dan Tucker, from Fluvanna County High in FUMA's own front yard, had an outstanding year at center and offensive guard and signed to play for the U. S. Military Academy at West Point next year. The U. S. Air Force Academy and the U. S. Naval Academy are each gaining a FUMA player as well.
Coach Shuman points out that nine of the players were recruited by former players or coaches now working in college football programs, another indication of the strength of FUMA's network. "They understand our program," says Shuman. "They know when we say a player will put in the effort on the field and in the classroom that they can take us at our word."
College Commitments made by February 6, 2008:
Aaron Adams, OL, Eastern Kentucky University
Lueth Akueth, OL, James Madison University
Antonio Allen, WR/DB, University of South Carolina
Jerome Ambrose, RB, Henderson State
Akeem Auguste, WR/DB, University of South Carolina
Eric Baker, RB, University of South Carolina
Yohannes Bekele, OL/DL, Glenville State College
Steve Brown, LB, Eastern Michigan University
Wiley Brown, RB/SS, Duquesne University
Tavierion Cuffee, EB, James Madison University
Nick Demith, OL/DL, Mesa State College
Marcus Dowtin, RB/LB, University of Georgia
Lawrence Ferrell, RB, Hampton University
John Hill, OL, University of Alabama
Jeff Howie, OL, Temple University
Josh Johnson, QB/S, James Madison University
Dave Keisling, DB, Penn State University
Michael Labarre, FB, Temple University
Eric Morrison, DB, Eastern Michigan University
Patrick Myrick, QB/FS, Washburn University of Topeka
Austin Pasztor, OL, University of Virginia
Anthony Rapley, WR/DB, Temple University
Germael Raspberry, OL/DL, Tuskegee University
Akerian Reames, RB/DB, U S Air Force Academy
Sam Reisenfeld, OL, U S Naval Academy
Corey Renzenaar, LB, Northwood University
Keith Stroud, WR, Rutgers
Robert Torn, Dl, University at Buffalo
Dan Tucker, OL, U S Military Academy
Jamie Veney, LB/SS, James Madison University
Zach Webb, RB, Virginia Military Institute
Prince Young, RB, Wagner College
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Wednesday, February 6, 2008 03:42 PM
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