2008 National Letter Of Intent Day
Sports
Information Department, Dan Teliski, Director
Phone: (814) 871-7418
Date: February 6, 2008
NINE
STUDENT-ATHLETES COMMIT TO
GANNON FOOTBALL PROGRAM DURING
FIRST OFFICIAL NCAA SIGNING DAY
ERIE, Pa. - As the Gannon
football program says good-bye to seven graduating seniors, nine newcomers
have announced their intentions to fill the voids. Gannon head football coach
Jim Kiernan announced the addition of nine student-athletes to the Gannon
program Wednesday afternoon. All nine student-athletes signed National Letters
of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at Gannon in the
fall of 2008.
“We are excited about this group of young men who have chosen to join the
Golden Knight football family,” said Kiernan. “We were able to address some
immediate needs with some impact players in this group.”
Today’s signees include six from New York, two from Ohio, and one from Pennsylvania.
The position breakdown includes four defensive linemen, two cornerbacks, one
linebacker, one tight end, and one kicker.
“Everyone in this group represents the type of student-athlete who will
be successful at Gannon,” noted Kiernan. “They possess the character and
athletic ability to help move our program forward during the next four years.
This is a great start to our 2008 recruiting class and we will continue to
build on this effort over the next couple weeks.”
In addition to the nine student-athletes who signed National Letters of
Intent today, Gannon also welcomes back Dave Conway, a redshirt senior offensive
lineman, who rejoin the program after sitting out last season with an injury.
The complete list of today’s signees can be found below. Gannon begins its
first season as a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
in 2008. The Golden Knights are tentatively scheduled to open the campaign
Saturday, August 30 with a non-conference game
at Lake Erie. The inaugural PSAC schedule begins Saturday, September 6 at
East Stroudsburg. Gannon opens the season with four road games, before hosting
Clarion September 27 in the home opener.
2008 National Letters
of Intent - Alphabetical Order
Randy Bloom
(DL, 6-4, 275)
Orchard Park, N.Y. / Orchard Park
High School
~ Played for head coach Gene
Tundo at Orchard Park (N.Y.) High School
~ Intended Major: Business
~ Named to the all-state first
team as a senior
~ Was a two-time all-conference
first-team selection
~ Earned All-Western New York
first-team accolades as a senior
~ Received the Vaughn Parker Award,
given to the All-Western NY Lineman of the Year
~ Was a Trench Trophy finalist
as a senior and nominee as a junior
~ Served as a team captain during
his senior year
Preston Clements
(CB, 5-10, 175)
Rochester, N.Y.
/ East High School
~ Played for head coach Paul
Brigandi at East (N.Y.) High School
~ Intended Major: Criminal Justice
~ Earned all-league accolades
as a senior
~ Named defensive MVP
~ Served as a team captain
~ Was a scholar-athlete
~ Other Schools Considered: Edinboro
Randy Colling
(DL, 6-5, 275)
Arcade, N.Y. / Pioneer
High School
~ Played for head coaches Jim
Duprey and Chris Edwards at Pioneer High School
~ Intended Major: Undecided
~ Plans to be a two-sport athlete
at Gannon, also wrestling for the Golden Knights
~ Was an all-state first-team
selection
~ Named All-Western NY Section
VI Class A South Defensive Player of the Year
~ Named to the All-Western NY
All-Star first team
~ Named to the All-Western NY
Section VI Class A South All-Star first team
~ Was an Olean Big 30 All-Star
~ Named Pioneer High School’s
team MVP
~ Was a two-time conference champion,
two-time division champion, and two-time sectional champion in wrestling
~ Finished second at the state
wrestling championships as a junior and sixth as a sophomore
~ Posted over 100 career wrestling
victories in high school
Carmen Lamancusa
(DL, 6-3, 275)
Vienna, Ohio / Mathews
High School
~ Played for head coach Jim
Parry at Mathews (Ohio) High School
~ Intended Major: Secondary Education
~ Named Conference Defensive Player
of the Year
~ Was a two-time All-Ohio first-team
selection
~ Was a four-time all-conference
first-team selection
~ Named to the all-county first
team four times
~ Served as a team captain as
a senior
~ Led Mathews High School to two
conference championships, two state playoff appearances,
and the school’s first-ever undefeated regular season as a senior
~ Other Schools Considered: Indiana
(Pa.), California (Pa.), St. Francis, Walsh
Jeffrey Long
(LB/LS, 6-2, 240)
Port Jervis, N.Y. /
Port Jervis High School
~ Played for head coach Bob
Corvino at Port Jervis (N.Y.) High School
~ Intended Major: Criminal Justice
~ Was a three-year varsity letterwinner
~ Ranked 25th out of 1,000 players at the "Best of the Best" Competition
in Las Vegas (January 2008)
~ Ranked ninth in the United States for long snapping by Chris Sailer Snapping
sponsored by Nike in May of 2007
~ Ranked 12th in the United States for long snapping by Chris Sailer Snapping
in July of 2007
~ Ranked ninth in the United States for long snapping by Ray Guy in 2006
and 17th in 2005
Aaron Roberson
(CB, 5-10, 175)
Maple Heights, Ohio
/ St. Peter Chanel High School
~ Played for head coach Dave
Stupka at St. Peter Chanel (Ohio) High School
~ Intended Major: Sports Management/Business
~ Named to the all-state first
team as a senior and second team as a junior
~ Named North Coast League MVP
~ Selected to the North Coast
League first team
~ Named team MVP and team offensive
MVP
~ Other Schools Considered: Ashland,
Mercyhurst, Robert Morris
Matt Szczupakowski
(K, 5-8, 185)
Spencerport, N.Y. /
Churchville-Chili High School
~ Played for head coach Paul
Dick at Churchville-Chili (N.Y.) High School
~ Intended Major: Sports Management
~ Named to the all-state first
team
~ Was a two-time all-county first-team
selection
~ Named to the Super 22 football
team
~ Is Churchville-Chili’s all-time
leader in career field goals (20)
~ Other Schools Considered: Edinboro,
Wagner, University of Albany, University of Buffalo, Delaware State
Evan Twombly
(TE, 6-5, 225)
Baldwinsville, N.Y.
/ Baker High School
~ Played for head coach Carl
Sanfilippo at Baker (N.Y.) High School
~ Intended Major: Business/Marketing
~ Named to the all-state second
team and all-league first team
~ Earned All-Star honorable-mention
accolades
~ Served as a team captain
~ Named Baker High School’s offensive
MVP
~ Was a National Football Foundation
and College Hall of Fame nominee
~ Led Section 3 in receiving yards
~ Named Kickoff Classic MVP
~ Was the starting tight end in
the Arcaro Classic All-Star Game
~ Other Schools Considered: Maine,
Maryland
Josh Williams
(DL, 6-3, 255)
Waterford, Pa. / Fort
LeBoeuf High School
~ Played for head coach John
Campbell at Fort LeBoeuf (Pa.) High School
~ Campbell is a former Gannon
standout, who ranks ninth all-time in school history with 1,218 career rushing
yards
~ Intended Major: Criminal Justice
~ Was a four-year letterman and
two-time team captain
~ Named to the all-region first
team as an OL and all-region second team as a DL
~ Was a two-sport athlete, being
a four-year letterman in wrestling
~ Named to the all-region first
team in wrestling as a junior
~ Served as the team captain for
the wrestling team
~ Other Schools Considered: Mercyhurst,
Edinboro
Gannon University~University Square ~ Erie,
PA 16541-0001
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updated
2/6/08 by: drt
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