1.14.2003 Five C-USA Standouts Head to Senior Bowl
Dave Ragone |
Conference USA will be well represented in the 54th annual Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., this Saturday, January 18. Five players, including three-time Offensive Player of the Year Dave Ragone of Louisville and TCU linebacker LaMarcus McDonald, will represent C-USA in the annual all-star game, which is played in front of numerous NFL personnel.
Louisville quarterback Dave Ragone is the lone representative on the North squad. The winningest QB in school history, Ragone completed 55 percent of his passes for 2,880 yards and a league-high 24 TDs this season. He led Louisville to a pair of Conference USA championships and three bowl appearances as a starter, tossing 74 career touchdown passes.
The South squad features four Conference USA players. Included on the unit are two Southern Miss offensive linemen, Jeremy Bridges and Torrin Tucker. Bridges, who was a four-year starter on the offensive line, ended his Southern Miss career with 45 career starts. Tucker earned C-USA first team All-Conference honors and has been listed as one of the top offensive linemen in the upcoming NFL draft.
TCU?s McDonald was a second team AP All-American after finishing sixth in Conference USA in tackles with 118 and tying for the league lead in sacks with 11. He ranked third in the nation with 20 solo and 10 assisted tackles behind the line of scrimmage, helping the Horned Frogs defense to the No. 1 overall ranking in the nation.
UAB?s Chris Brown recorded a career-best 87 tackles this past season, mostly from his cornerback position. He began the 2002 season at free safety for the Blazers but was moved back to corner after four games. He finished his career with 246 total tackles, including 175 solos, and nine interceptions.
The four members of the South squad will be coached by Marty Morninwheg and his Detroit Lions coaching staff. Dom Capers and his Houston Texans coaching unit will tutor Ragone and the other North players.
The Senior Bowl is regarded in many circles as the most prestigious of the postseason all-star games. Last season, a total of 93 players that participated in the Senior Bowl were drafted by NFL teams, including 10 first round selections. Senior Bowl practices are attended by more than 600 general managers, head coaches, assistant coaches, scouts and other front office personnel from each of the 32 National Football League teams.
The game, which will be nationally-televised by ESPN, kicks off at 1:00 p.m. (CST) on Saturday from Ladd-Peebles Stadium, also the site of the GMAC Bowl. A sellout crowd of over 40,000 is expected. The Senior Bowl, presented by Food World, is also a non-profit, charitable event which has donated over $2 million to charity since 1989.
North Roster
No. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. School
1 WR Bobby Wade 5-10 190 Arizona
2 DB Cato June 5-11 217 Michigan
3 WR Arnaz Battle 6-0 204 Notre Dame
5 RB Larry Johnson 6-0 221 Penn State
6 LB Victor Hobson 6-0 248 Michigan
7 QB Kyle Boller 6-2 221 California
8 DB DeJuan Groce 5-9 189 Nebraska
9 LB Clifton Smith 6-1 251 Syracuse
10 QB Seneca Wallace 5-11 190 Iowa State
11 WR Tyrone Calico 6-3 219 MTSU
14 DB Antwoine Sanders 6-1 194 Utah
15 QB Dave Ragone 6-3 246 Louisville
16 KP Brooks Barnard 6-2 188 Maryland
22 RB Artose Pinner 5-9 229 Kentucky
23 DB Bryan Scott 6-0 214 Penn State
24 WR Bryant Johnson 6-2 208 Penn State
25 WR Terrence Holt 6-1 202 NC State
27 LB Lance Briggs 6-0 247 Arizona
28 DB Eugene Wilson 5-10 189 Illinois
32 RB Cecil Sapp 5-10 226 Colorado St.
35 RB Ovie Mughelli 6-0 255 Wake Forest
41 DB Shane Walton 5-10 187 Notre Dame
42 LB Matt Wilhelm 6-3 237 Ohio State
44 RB Casey Moore 6-1 250 Stanford
45 DB Marcus Trufant 5-11 186 Washington St.
51 LB Gerald Hayes 6-0 231 Pittsburgh
55 LB Angelo Crowell 6-0 230 Virginia
56 OL Eric Steinbach 6-6 292 Iowa
57 DL Chris Kelsay 6-4 270 Nebraska
58 DL Kevin Williams 6-4 301 Oklahoma St.
59 OL Anthony Davis 6-4 316 Virginia Tech
64 OL Ben Johnson 6-6 334 Wisconsin
69 OL Seth Wand 6-6 315 NW Missouri
72 OL Al Johnson 6-4 293 Wisconsin
73 OL Bruce Nelson 6-5 289 Iowa
75 OL Steve Sciullo 6-4 328 Marshall
78 OL Dan Koppen 6-2 288 Boston College
79 OL Tony Pashos 6-6 339 Illinois
81 DL Michael Haynes 6-3 274 Penn State
82 WR Kevin Curtis 5-11 187 Utah State
83 TE Ben Joppru 6-4 259 Michigan
85 TE L.J. Smith 6-3 249 Rutgers
86 DL Tyler Brayton 6-6 269 Colorado
93 DL Calvin Pace 6-3 253 Wake Forest
94 DL Colin Cole 6-1 315 Iowa
97 DL Kenny Peterson 6-2 293 Ohio State
98 DL Anthony Adams 5-11 290 Penn State
99 DL Terrence Martin 6-2 290 NC State
Coaching staff: Houston Texans (Dom Capers)
South Roster
No. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. School
1 DB Kevin Garrett 5-9 190 SMU
2 QB Chris Simms 6-4 216 Texas
3 QB Carson Palmer 6-4 220 USC
5 RB Earnest Graham 5-9 217 Florida
6 WR Taylor Jacobs 6-0 201 Florida
8 WR Terrence Edwards 5-11 163 Georgia
10 LB Pisa Tinoisamoa 6-0 222 Hawaii
11 LB Bradie James 6-2 240 LSU
12 QB Kliff Kingsbury 6-3 203 Texas Tech
14 DB Julian Battle 6-2 199 Tennessee
16 DB Rashean Mathis 6-4 190 Bethune-Cookman
17 DB Andrew Woolfolk 6-1 193 Oklahoma
18 TE Mike Seidman 6-4 268 UCLA
20 KP Damon Duval 5-11 195 Auburn
21 WR Talman Gardner 6-0 199 Florida State
22 DB Sammy Davis 5-11 183 Texas A&M
25 RB Justin Fargas 6-0 207 USC
26 DB Todd Johnson 6-0 197 Florida
27 WR Doug Gabriel 6-2 203 UCF
28 DB Drayton Florence 6-0 194 Tuskegee
31 RB Domanick Davis 5-9 213 LSU
33 RB Justin Griffith 5-11 229 Mississippi St.
43 DB Chris Brown 6-0 190 UAB
44 LB LaMarcus McDonald 6-0 209 TCU
45 RB Malaefou MacKenzie 5-10 223 USC
51 DL Jamaal Green 6-2 265 Miami
52 LB Mark Brown 6-0 228 Auburn
53 OL Ben Claxton 6-2 293 Ole Miss
54 DL Kindal Moorehead 6-2 288 Alabama
55 DL Kenny King 6-2 278 Alabama
56 OL Ben Nowland 6-2 293 Auburn
58 DL Rashad Moore 6-3 322 Tennessee
59 LB Mike Nattiel 5-11 225 Florida
61 OL Montrae Holland 6-1 331 Florida State
65 OL Vince Manuwai 6-2 303 Hawaii
71 OL George Foster 6-5 333 Georgia
72 OL Brett Williams 6-5 320 Florida St.
73 OL Jeremy Bridges 6-4 294 Southern Miss
76 OL Torrin Tucker 6-5 323 Southern Miss
78 OL Jon Stinchcomb 6-5 288 Georgia
82 TE Aaron Walker 6-5 253 Florida
88 WR Sam Aiken 6-1 202 N. Carolina
94 DL Ty Warren 6-5 298 Texas A&M
95 DL Jerome McDougal 6-1 264 Miami
96 DL Jarret Johnson 6-3 286 Alabama
97 DL Nick Eason 6-3 295 Clemson
98 LB Mario Haggan 6-2 252 Mississippi St.
99 DL Andrew Williams 6-2 262 Miami
Coaching staff: Detroit Lions (Marty Mornhinweg)