RAVENS ROOKIE FREE AGENTS
The Baltimore Ravens signed 16 undrafted rookie free agents today, including 5 offensive, 8 defensive and 3 special teams players.
Following are the Ravens 2007 rookie free agents bios:
Kendrick Ballantyne signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…An all-around impact player at Northeastern, he is skilled as both a receiving and blocking TE…Finished his 2-year career with the Huskies having totaled 57 catches for 837 yards (14.7 avg.) and 8 TDs in 17 games…Starting in 11 contests, he was a team captain his senior season and earned All-New England honors by the New England Football Writers Association…Was an Atlantic 10 All-Conference 2nd-team selection, finishing the year with team highs in catches (39) and receiving yards (655)…He also tallied 7 TD catches on the season…Pulled in a 75-yard pass against Holy Cross that accounted for NU’s longest reception since 1998…Registered 5 grabs for 71 yards and 2 TDs in the upset of New Hampshire…His 2nd TD catch came on a 4th-and-5 situation in OT that set up the victory…Also logged a career-high 114 yards on 4 catches at Hofstra…Hauled in 4 passes for 93 yards and 2 TDs in the season finale versus Rhode Island…Started 6 games as a junior in 2005 before going down with an elbow injury…Finished 3rd for Northeastern with 18 catches for 182 yards…Caught his 1st-career TD and hauled in 50 yards against Youngstown State…Did not play in 2004 due to NCAA regulations after transferring from Maine…Spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons at Maine…Played in 5 games in 2003 and redshirted his true freshman season…Majored in business management at Northeastern…In his prep career at Gorham (ME) HS, he played both QB and SS…Ballantyne earned All-Conference honors during his senior and junior campaigns…Also lettered in basketball and baseball, leading Gorham to a state baseball title in 2000 and the Western Maine crown in 2001.
Brendan Carney
No. 2
Punter
6-4, 203
Syracuse
Born: 12/23/82 in Abbington, PA
Brendan Carney signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Left Syracuse as the Orange’s all-time leader in punts (265) and punting yardage (11,279)…Saw action in 46 games…Served as a team co-captain…Named the Big East Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Connecticut, booting 7 times for 317 yards and landing a season-best 4 kicks inside the 20…Against Iowa, Carney punted 7 times for 328 yards and a season-best 46.9-yard average…Boomed a 66-yard kick and earned a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll…At Wake Forest, he recorded 8 punts for a season-high 344 yards…Played in all 11 games as a junior and handled punting and kickoff duties…All-Big East 1st-Team Selection…Ranked 24th nationally and 1st in the Big East in punting average (42.6)…Set new school records in single-season punts (82) and most punting yardage (3,491)…At Florida State, had 9 punts for 412 yards, including a career-long 71-yard boot…Had best game at Louisville and punted 9 times for an average of 43.4 yards to move to 1st all time in single-season punts (82) and punting (3,491)…Played in all 12 games as a sophomore and handled punting and KO duties…Second-team All-Big East…Ranked 2nd in the Big East in punting…Averaged at least 40 yards per punt in 9 of the Orange’s last 10 games…Named Special Teams Player of the Week averaging 46.8 yards on 6 punts against Florida State…Posted a then-career long punt of 65 yards against the Seminoles…Participated in all 12 games as a freshman and was named 2nd-team All-Big East…Named to The Sporting News Big East All-Freshman Team…Established SU freshman records for punts (60), punting yards (2,581) and punting average (43.0)…Tied for 9th on SU’s single-season punt lists…Tied the SU single-game record with 12 punts at Virginia Tech… Against WVA he punted 7 times for 332 yards and 1 TB, averaging 47.4 yards per punt… Redshirted in 2002…Majoring in Economics at Syracuse…At Malvern (PA) Prep, Carney won the Maxwell Club Award as a senior…Philadelphia Inquirer HS Sports Show All-American…First-team All-South Eastern Pennsylvania punter, All-City, and 1st-team All-Chester County as a punter and kicker as a junior and senior…Averaged 40 yards per punt, hit 5-of-7 on FGA and 40% of his KOs reached the end zone on a 10-0 team as a senior…Made 13-of-17 FGA, scored 150 points and 35 percent of his kickoffs reached the end zone in his HS career…Second-team All-City punter and 2nd-team All-Chester County punter and kicker as a sophomore…Full name: Brendan Thomas Carney.
Marcus Freeman
No. 82
Tight End
6-2, 246
Notre Dame
Born: 10/24/83 in St. Paul, MN
Marcus Freeman signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Great point-of-attack blocker with pass-blocking skills…Also had good hands off the line…Played in 44 games, starting 11 at Notre Dame…Caught 14-career passes for 148 yards with 2 TD receptions…Played primarily as the 2nd TE during Irish career…Appeared in all 13 games with 3 starts as a 5th-year senior in 2006…Hauled in 9 receptions for 98 yards and 2 TDs on the season…Netted a career-high 5 receptions for 38 yards and 1 TD in the regular season finale at USC…Had his 1st-career TD reception, a 23-yarder against Air Force…Played in all 12 games, with 1 start in 2005, seeing action at TE and on special teams…Did not catch a pass, but played extensively as a blocker in multi-TE situations and posted 4 tackles (all solo) on special teams…Appeared in 8 games, making 6 starts in 2004, hauling in 5 receptions for 50 yards…Had 2 receptions for 22 yards versus Purdue, including a long of 16 yards…Pulled in his 1st-career pass against BYU in the season opener…Played in 11 games as a TE and on special teams in 2003…Did not record a reception, but did post a special teams tackle…Did not see action as a freshman in 2003…Graduated from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business in May, 2006 with a degree in marketing…Currently enrolled in Graduate Studies…Was a 2-time Minnesota All-State selection at Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, MN) HS…Named to the 2002 SuperPrep squad…Hauled in 18 passes for 300 yards and 3 TDs as senior in 2001…Helped his team post an unbeaten regular season and 11-1 overall record as a senior, including a berth in the Minnesota class 5A playoffs…Earned 3 letters in football…Also started 7 games at DE as a sophomore, then moved to TE as a junior…Posted 16 catches for 400 yards and 4 TDs as a junior in 2000…Made 30 tackles with 6 sacks as a senior and 20 tackles and 5 sacks as a junior…Helped his team win 3-straight league titles, twice earning All-League recognition…Helped his team win the 1999 state title as sophomore…Also lettered in basketball at forward as a sophomore…Played in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl…Full name: Marcus Leon Freeman.
Willie Gaston
No. 44
Cornerback
5-10, 187
Houston
Born: 12/15/82 in Houston, TX
Willie Gaston signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Helped Houston capture the Conference USA Championship as a senior, defeating Southern Miss 34-20…Finished his career with 49 games played, 183 tackles, 6 INTs, 2 FFs, 43 PD and a blocked kick…Played in all 14 games as a senior, ending with a season-high 56 tackles, 19 PD, 1 INT, 2 FFs and 1 sack (-9 yards)…Returned a fumble 63 yards before being tackled at the 4-yard line in the 51-31 victory over Central Florida…Started 11 of 12 games as a junior and led the defense with 13 PD, next to doubling his closest teammate…Had 2 tackles, a PD and blocked the 1st Sam Houston State FGA during the home opener…Recorded 7 solo tackles and a game-high 6 PD at UTEP…Ended the regular season strong against Rice with 4 tackles and a 2-yard INT return…Finished 1st among cornerbacks with 62 tackles as a sophomore…Started 10 of 11 games played…Had 6 solo tackles and a PD against No. 4 Miami…Posted a career day at Memphis, with 2 INTs, 1 of which was returned 75 yards for a TD…The other halted the Tigers’ opening drive in the back of the end zone…Played in 12 games (4 starts) as a freshman…Saw action on special teams and as a backup…Had his 1st-career INT against Mississippi State…Sat out his 1st season in 2002 to concentrate on academics, but was able to practice with the team…A QB at North Shore (Houston, TX) HS, 1 of the top 5A schools in Texas…Earned a 25-3 record as a starter…Two-time MVP…Majored in sports administration at Houston.
Donnie Johnson
No. 40
Safety
6-0, 209
Penn State
Born: 6/3/83 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Donnie Johnson signed as a rookie free agent with the Baltimore Ravens on 5/4/07…Had primarily distinguished himself on special teams, having blocked 3 punts in his career, but was an effective force on pass defense and run support in 2006…Johnson was a strong contributor in helping the Nittany Lions’ defense finish the year ranked in the top 15 nationally in rushing (87.5 ypg, 7th), scoring (14.4 ppg, 9th), total defense (284.5 ypg, 15th), pass efficiency defense (105.9 rating, 14th) and sacks (40, tied for 6th)…Started every game at FS in 2006 and ranked 5th on the team with 50 tackles (36 solo)…He also had 4 TFL, 1 sack, 4 PD and 1 FF…Helped limit Purdue’s Big Ten-leading and No. 4-nationally ranked passing attack to 125 yards, much below its season average of 309.6 ypg…Johnson recorded a career-high 9 stops (7 solo) at Wisconsin and broke up 2 passes…In the Nittany Lions’ 2nd shutout of the season, over Temple, Johnson helped the Lions limit Temple to just 58 yards through the air, the lowest total by an opponent since Notre Dame’s 47 yards in 1989…Played in every game in 2005 (for the 3rd-consecutive season) on defense and special teams…Made 8 tackles (6 solo), along with 2 PD and an INT…In the regular-season finale at Michigan State, he recorded his 3rd-career blocked punt, which led to a TD…The play sparked the Nittany Lions in their 31-22 Big Ten-clinching win and earned Johnson the "Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Week"…He also grabbed his 1st-career INT in the end zone in the final seconds of the 2nd quarter against the Spartans…He made 2 solo tackles against the Spartans and for all of his efforts was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week…Johnson was shifted from WR to CB for his junior season in 2004…Played in every game and recorded 6 tackles and blocked a pair of punts…Came up with a big punt block to give the Lions the ball inside the Iowa 10-yard line…His 2nd blocked punt of the season set up a short TD drive in the momentum-changing 3rd-quarter of the Lions’ win over Michigan State…Johnson played in every game and totaled 170 snaps in 2003, seeing duty at RB and WR…Redshirted his true freshman season in 2002…Graduated from Penn State in December 2006 with a degree in psychology…Johnson was a standout at North College Hill (Cincinnati, OH) HS…He was a member of the SuperPrep All-Midwest team and G&W Recruiting Report Top 50 Offense…As a senior he rushed for 2,961 yards and averaged 12.7 yards per carry…As a safety, he made 38 tackles and grabbed 6 INTs…Johnson set school career records for rushing yards (6,353), all-purpose yards (7,430), TDs (73) and points (438)…Full name: Donald Martin Johnson.
Edgar Jones
No. 64
Defensive End
6-3, 263
Southeast Missouri State
Born: 12/1/84
Edgar Jones signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Excellent athlete and pass-rushing specialist who had been slowed by injuries in his career at Division 1-AA Southeast Missouri State University…Named to the Associated Press All-America Team in 2006 after leading the nation in sacks (12)…He ranked 4th individually in TFL (18)…He averaged 1.2 sacks per game and 1.8 TFL per game…Jones tallied 53 tackles (37 solo) including the 18 TFL (-103 yards) and 12 sacks (-88 yards)…He also had 2 QB hurries, 2 PD and 1 FF…Was 1 of 3 players from the Ohio Valley Conference selected to play in the Magnolia Gridiron Classic All-Star Game in Jackson, MI…The classic is geared towards college players whose teams have not been invited to postseason competition, but have the potential to make it into the NFL…In 2005, as a starting DE, Jones tallied 31 tackles (22 solo), 6 TFL (-23 yards) and 4 sacks (-21 yards)…Played in 7 games in 2003, but suffered an arm injury that limited his playing time…Finished with 18 tackles (10 solo)…Played in 5 games at DE as a true freshman in 2003…Collected 7 tackles (4 solo) and 2 PD…Was a Southeast Scholar Athlete and majored in Criminal Justice…Was a 2-time All-State selection as a DE and TE at Rayville (LA) HS…Was named 4-time All-District performer in football and 3-time All-State honoree in basketball, scoring 59 points in 1 game.
Nick Leeson
No. 61
Long Snapper
6-1, 255
Virginia Tech
Born: 10/29/82 in Clarksburg, WV
Nick Leeson signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Considered by many scouts to be the best long snapper to come out of college in 2006…NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt proclaimed Leeson to be “the best of the three long snappers who were at the NFL Combine.â€â€¦Invited to the Senior Bowl in 2006…Featured on ESPN’s Senior Bowl Live Chat…Leeson appeared in all 13 games in 2006 as the team’s snapper on punts and FGs, recording 5 total tackles…Had only 1 bad snap in 3 seasons (2003, 2005 and 2006)…Handled the long snapping for all 52 punts in 2005, none of which were blocked…Dressed for all 13 games, but did not see any varsity action in 2004 due to a wrist injury…Handled most of VT’s PAT and FG snaps in 2003, playing in 9 games…Earned Super Iron Hokie honors for his efforts in the weight room…Played in 9 games in 2003…Handled 47 total snaps on PATs and FGs with zero bad snaps…Earned Super Iron Hokie honors in the strength and conditioning program during the offseason…Practiced at the LB position in 2002 and served as a reserve LS…Did not see action and redshirted in 2002…Was in on 3 tackles during 1 spring scrimmage…Joined the team as a walk- on…Entered school for the 2nd semester in 2001…Practiced at LB and as a LS during spring practice… Majored in human nutrition, foods and exercise at Virginia Tech and hopes to enroll in pharmacy school in a few years…Attended Abingdon (VA) HS where he played LB and handled the deep snapping duties…Was a 4-year letterman and 2-year team captain…Also lettered in basketball and baseball…Was a high jumper in track…Dad Billy was an offensive lineman for the Hokies (1982-84)…Full name: Nicholas Brooke Leeson.
Travis Leitko
No. 67
Defensive End
6-6, 273
Notre Dame
Born: 8/9/83 in Garland, TX
Travis Leitko signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…An inspirational story, Leitko returned to Notre Dame and earned a scholarship in 2006 after leaving school following the 2004 season to take care of his parents who were both stricken with cancer…After both successfully fought off cancer, he returned to South Bend prior to the 2006 campaign and received a scholarship following his stellar play in the summer…Leitko played all 12 games in 2006 at DT, recording 10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD, and he returned a kick 9 yards…In 2004, Leitko played in all 11 games, mostly on special teams…He recovered a fumble and recorded 1 tackle against Washington…Had 5 tackles (2 solo) on defense for the season…Played in 10 games both as a reserve DE and on special teams in 2003…Made 12 tackles (5 solo), including 1.5 TFL (-9 yards), 1 sack (-8 yards) and 1 FF…Made his 1st-career appearance for the Irish versus Washington State and recorded 1 tackle…Recorded a career-best 5 tackles and 1 FF versus BYU…Did not see action as a freshman DE in 2002…Majored in history at Notre Dame…Attended The Woodlands (TX) HS…USA Today 2nd-team prep All-American…Rated the No. 22 player nationally by the Chicago Sun-Times…Earned 3 letters in football at DE…Totalled 96 tackles (77 solo), 11 TFL, 5 sacks, 2 FRs, 2 FFs and 1 blocked FG as a senior in 2001…Rated one of the top 100 players in Texas by the Houston Chronicle…A Houston Chronicle 1st-team All-Greater Houston area pick…Was a 1st-team All-Southwest defensive lineman by Student Sports magazine…Was captain of his team as a senior in 2001…Had 100 tackles (70 solo), 3 FRs, 3 FFs and 12 TFL as junior in 2000…Started 40 games in his prep career, making 206 tackles (181 solo), 24 TFL, 15 sacks, 5 FRs, 3 FFs and 2 blocked FGs…Helped The Woodlands post records of 9-4 in 1999, 11-3 in 2000 (state playoff semifinalists) and 12-1 in 2001…Played in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio…Earned 1 letter in wrestling and 2 in track and field (discus)…Conference champion in wrestling as a junior…His father, Mike Leitko, played football at SMU (1970-73)…Full name: Travis Whittaker Leitko.
Damien Linson
No. 18
Wide Receiver
5-10, 186
Central Michigan
Born: 1/23/85
Damien Linson signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07… Finished his career with the 3rd-most CMU receptions (155), receiving yards (2,279) and TD receptions (17), starting 33 of 40 career games for the Chippewa…Named MAC Championship Game MVP as a senior, catching 7 passes for a championship game-record 191 yards and a TD…Started all 14 games…Finished season with 55 receptions for 812 receiving yards and 5 TDs…Caught 5 passes for 134 yards and 2 TDs at Kentucky…Started all 11 games as a junior…Led team in receiving yards (832) and tied for team lead with 4 TDs…Set a Kelly/Shorts Stadium record with a 78-yard PR for a TD versus Ohio, for which he was named MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week…Caught 5 passes for a career-high 204 yards and a score at Miami…Totaled a career-high 9 receptions against Northern Illinois and Western Michigan, for 146 yards and 108 yards, respectively…Started 8 of 9 games played in his sophomore season, leading CMU in receiving yards (574) and TD receptions (7), while missing the last 2 games of the season due to injury…Returned a punt 66 yards for a TD against SE Missouri State… First Chippewa to return a punt for a score in 20-plus years…Saw action as a true freshman, hauling in 7 passes for 61 yards…At Plymouth (NC) HS, earned 4 letters in football and 2 in basketball…Named MVP, All-Conference and All-State in both sports…Set North Carolina state records with 60 career TDs and 4,451 yards…Also holds single-season mark with 1,723 receiving yards…Majored in entrepreneurship at Central Michigan…Full name: Damien Jerrod Linson.
Joe Martin
No. 59
Linebacker
6-1, 229
San Diego State
Born: 10/25/83 in Palmdale, CA
Joe Martin signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Led the Aztecs with a career-high 109 tackles (57 solo) in 2006 and earned All-Mountain West Conference 2nd-team honors…Martin’s 109 tackles ranked him 3rd in the Mountain West Conference and 26th in the country…Martin added 3 sacks and 2 PD in his senior season…The co-captain was named league Defensive Player of the Week twice in 2006…Martin tallied 214 tackles in his career and logged 7 games with 10-or-more stops…A former walk-on, Martin became the 5th-straight Aztec MLB to be named either a 1st- or 2nd-team All-League pick…Martin was named Defensive Player of the Week for his 14-tackle (4 solo), 1.5-TFL, 1-sack effort in SDSU’s 17-6 win over Colorado State…It was his 4th double-digit-tackle game of the season…Played all 3 LB positions, starting 10 in 2005…Had an outstanding conference season ranking in the top 6 in the MWC in tackles…Originally a walk-on at SDSU…Started 10 games at LB in 2005…Earned conference honorable mention honors…Was 6th in the league in tackles per MWC contests (8.8)…Finished 3rd on the team in total tackles with a career high 81, including 4 TFL…Posted double-figure tackles 3 times, all in conference games…Registered a then-career-high and team-best 12 tackles at Utah…Had his 1st-career INT, which he returned 86 yards for his 1st-career TD at UNLV…Also made 8 tackles and recorded a half-sack against the Rebels…Earned his way into SDSU’s heavily-decorated LB rotation in 2004…Ended the season with a start when Matt McCoy was sidelined with an injury vs. UNLV…Saw action in every game in 2003…Best game came in the season finale when he was credited with 4 tackles against Air Force…Majored in finance at SDSU…Played SS as a junior and moved to LB as a senior at Paraclete (Lancaster, CA) HS…Was the Paraclete Defensive Player of the Year after recording 105 tackles as a senior…A 1st-team All-CIF selection…Also played basketball and baseball…Named the scholar-athlete of the 2002 senior class.
Terrell Maze
No. 45
Cornerback
5-10, 171
San Diego State
Born: 3/13/84 in Fort Hood, TX
Terrell Maze signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Played in 2007 Las Vegas All-American Classic, 1 of only 5 postseason All-Star games for college seniors and other NFL Draft-eligible players…Finished his career with 42 games played, tallying 136 total tackles, 4 INTs and 20 PD…Started 10 of 12 games as a senior and was the 5th-leading tackler with 57 tackles, including 43 solo stops…Second on the team with 7 PD and also tallied 1 INT, 1 FF and 1 FR…Logged his sole INT against Utah…Posted 3 PD in the loss at Wyoming…Started 11 of 12 games as a junior, the 1st starts of his career, earning honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference honors and ranking 2nd in the league with 15 PD…Finished with 3 INTs, 58 tackles and 2 FFs…Best game against Wyoming with 10 stops, 4 PD and an INT in the 4th quarter, leading the Aztecs to a 34-21 victory…Intercepted a pass in the end zone in the 4th quarter in the win over Colorado State…Captured his 1st-career INT against BYU, adding 4 tackles to the mix…Saw action on special teams as a sophomore, working his way into the secondary…Finished the season with 16 tackles (14 solo) and 1 PD…As a freshman, saw action in 9 games with a season-best 3 tackles at UTEP…Redshirted his true freshman year in 2002…Earned 3 letters in football and 2 All-Conference honors at Santa Monica (CA) HS…Majored in public administration at San Diego State…Full name: Samuel Terrell Maze.
Andrew Powell
No. 71
Defensive Tackle
6-0, 317
Mississippi State
Born: 11/18/83 in Pahokee, FL
Andrew Powell signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…A hard-nosed lineman with hole-plugging ability and the power to rush the QB…Saw action in 39-career games at Mississippi State, including 32 starts…Totaled 117 tackles, including 10 TFL (-34 yards), 3 sacks (-13 yards) and 1 INT as a 3-year full-time starter for the Bulldogs…Closed out his collegiate career starting 11 of the 12 games he played, netting 34 tackles (23 solo), 2 TFL and a half-sack as a senior in 2006…Tied his career high with 7 tackles (6 solo) against Jacksonville State…Also blocked a kick as a senior…Started all 11 games he played at NT as a junior in 2005, posting 39 tackles and produced career highs with 6 TFL, 1.5 sacks and his 1st-career INT, which he returned 2 yards…Had a career game against Arkansas with a career-high 7 tackles (6 solo), 1 TFL and a half-sack…As a sophomore, Powell saw action in 11 games, starting 9 and netted a then-career-high 40 tackles (24 solo), 2 TFL and 1 sack in 2004…Powell was a back-up DL as a freshman, playing in 5 games, with 1 start and totaled 4 tackles (all solo) as a freshman…Majored in interdisciplinary studies at Mississippi State…Ranked one of the top 75 OL and DL prospects in the Southeast in the G&W Preseason Recruiting Magazine at Clewiston (FL) HS…Ranked No. 61 on the list of the top 100 prospects, regardless of position, by the Orlando Sentinel newspaper…Named most valuable DL for Southwest Florida as a senior…Was a 3-year starter and led his team to a 28-13 record over that span, including a 2nd-place showing in the State Championship during his junior year…Played both OL and DL in high school…Two-time, All-League and All-District selection…Registered 74 tackles, including 8 TFL during his junior campaign…Was also a standout in track, finishing 2nd in the state in the shot put competition… Full name: Andrew Lorenzo Powell.
Greg Pruitt, Jr. signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…In just 3 seasons at North Carolina Central University, he became the school’s all-time leading rusher with 3,008 career yards…He is the only player in NCCU annals to break the 3,000-yard career-rushing barrier and the only player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season twice (2004 and 2005)…Helped lead NCCU to back-to-back Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Football titles in 2005 and 2006…During that ‘06 campaign, his team compiled a perfect 11-0 regular-season record, a No. 4-national ranking in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 poll, and won the Sheridan Broadcast Network Black College National Championship…As a senior in 2006, he rushed for 733 yards on 145 attempts (5.1 avg.), scoring 6 TDs in 12 games…He recorded a season-high 147 all-purpose yards (117 rushing) against Elizabeth City State University to earn CIAA Championship MVP honors…Rushed for a season-best 122 yards on 16 carries versus Johnson C. Smith to become the school’s all-time leading rusher…During his junior campaign, he was named to the Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All-Southeast Region 2nd-team…Topped the Eagles and ranked 2nd in the conference with 1,172 rushing yards, the 2nd-best rushing season in NCCU history…Registered 10 TDs to finish 3rd in the league…Set a school single-season record with 260 rushing attempts…He was selected as Offensive MVP of the Aggie-Eagle Classic, totaling 130 rushing yards against NCAA Division I-AA rival North Carolina A&T…He posted the 4th-best rushing effort in school history with 220 yards and 3 TDs on 29 carries against Livingstone…As a sophomore, he was tabbed a 2nd-team All-CIAA member, finishing 3rd in the conference with 1,103 rushing yards (110.3 ypg)…He became only the 4th player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards, and the 1st since 1993…Pruitt, Jr. scampered for 100 yards or more in 7 of 10 games, including 4 in a row to cap the season…In 2003, he played for Georgia Military College…Was a business major at North Carolina Central…Prepped at Shaker Heights (OH) HS…Was a 4-year letterman at RB, CB and RS…Earned All-American 2-way Player honors as a senior and was a 3-time All-Area, All-County, All-Conference and All-City selection…Also garnered All-State honors his final season when he was rated as the 14th-best all-purpose back in the nation by Rivals.com…Rushed for 1,854 yards and 25 TDs as a senior…On defense, he racked up 45 tackles (35 solo) and 6 PD…Was also an All-League track athlete in the 100-meter dash and 4×100-meter relay…Father, Gregory, Sr., was a 4-time Pro Bowl RB with the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders.
James Wilhoit
No. 5
Kicker
5-10, 200
Tennessee
Born: 6/30/83 in Hendersonville, TN
James Wilhoit signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Played in 37 games while at Tennessee…Wilhoit ended his senior season with 8 straight FGs and made 11 of his last 12…He posted a season FG percentage of 73.7 (14-of-19), his career best…Was named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America 2nd-team for football (group is selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America)…Was named to the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s inaugural National Honor Society, comprised of college football players from all divisions who maintain a 3.2 GPA or better…Played all 11 games as a senior…Made all 21 PAT tries for 63 total points…Active SEC scoring leader with 229 points…Converted a 46-yard FG during win over UAB…Also made tackle on KO coverage versus Tigers…Earned 2nd Academic All-SEC honors…Played all 13 games as a junior…Led Vols in scoring with 74 points…Made 6 of final 8 FGAs…Made 6 of 7 attempts inside 40 yards with the only miss a blocked attempt versus Kentucky…Finished 44-of-45 on PATs…Missed what would have been a game-tying PAT late in Florida game (1st-career miss), but redeemed himself 90 seconds later by connecting on 50-yard FG with :06 remaining to give Tennesssee 30-28 win…Tied career long with 51-yarder at Georgia…Played 13 games as a sophomore…First-team Freshman All-America by Scripps Howard/FWAA after leading Vols with 92 points…Also earned 2nd-team honors from The Sporting News…Consensus Freshman All-SEC kicker…Connected on 17-of-24 FGA (including 12 of his last 14) and all 41 PATs…Also boomed 29 touchbacks on KOs…Ranked 2nd nationally among freshmen and 27th overall in FGs per game with 1.31…Assigned KO duties in 2nd half against Marshall and held position rest of season…Connected on a career-long 51-yard FGA against Florida…Perfect 3-for-3 on FGAs vs. Alabama…Redshirted in 2002…Earned a communications degree and his graduate degree in sports psychology…Attended Hendersonville (TN) HS…Named 1st-team All-America from Parade, PrepStar, SuperPrep, Student Sports and Borderwars.com…Rated No. 1 kicker by Rivals.com, Borderwars.com and PrepStar…All-State honors as senior and junior and played in 2002 Tennessee-Georgia All-Star Game…Set state FG records for season (21) and career (32)…Set state title game-punting average record of 49 yards…Connected on 11-of-21 FGs as a junior, with a long of 53 and placed 81% of his KOs through the end zone…Added 42.3-yard punting average…Member of All-State Chorus…Full name: James Howell Wilhoit II.
Matt Willis
No. 17
Wide Receiver
5-11, 185
UCLA
Born: 4/13/84 in Dallas, TX
Matt Willis signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Speedy receiver with good hands and toughness…Has a good work ethic and the ability to stretch the field with his big-play potential…Played only 2 years of football at UCLA after joining the team in February of 2005 during spring drills…Prior to playing football, Willis was on the track team in 2003 and ‘04…In the spring of 2004, he competed in the 400-meter hurdles and qualified for the NCAA West Regionals…Played in 21 games (3 starts) in 2 years for the Bruins, finishing his career with 24 receptions for 248 yards and 2 TDs…Saw action in 13 games, starting 3 as a senior, hauling in 21 receptions for 219 yards (10.4 avg.) and 2 TDs…During his 1st year in the program in 2005, Willis saw action in 8 games as a reserve WR and KR…On the year, he made 3 receptions for 29 yards, including a 13-yard TD against USC…Also had a 16-yard reception and a catch (no yards) against Oregon State…Returned 1 KO for 10 yards versus Rice…Majored in sociology at UCLA…Played football as a sophomore but did not compete as a junior or senior at Servite (La Palma, CA) HS, concentrating on track and field…As a senior, he earned Junior All-America honors in the 400 meter hurdles…Also won the CIF Division III 300-meter championship and placed 2nd in the state meet…In addition, Willis earned 2nd-team All-Orange County honors in soccer…Full Name: Matthew Anthony Willis.
Lawrence Wilson
No. 79
Defensive Tackle
6-0, 296
Hawaii
Born: 5/12/84 in American Samoa
Lawrence Wilson signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent on 5/4/07…Tough, point-of-attack DT with good hands and the ability to shed blockers…Played in 17 games in 2 years at Hawaii…Saw action in 14 games, starting 4 as a senior…Posted 7 tackles (4 solo), 1.5 sacks (-4 yards) and 1 FR in those contests…Saw action in 3 games as a junior in 2005, but did not record any stats…Prior to University of Hawaii, Wilson graduated from Dixie College in St. George, UT…Played the 2002-03 seasons for the Rebels and helped lead his team to a 20-4 record in 2 years…A 2002 graduate of Farrington (Honolulu, HI) HS, he earned 3 letters in football and 2 in basketball…Garnered 1st-team All-State and All-League honors as a senior in football…Played in the Goodwill HUB All-Star game…Cousin is former NFL LB Spencer Reid.
