Jeff Woodruff has shown a lot of patience in waiting for year three to arrive. And his patience is about to be rewarded as the Eastern Michigan University Eagles prepare for the 2002 football season.
When Woodruff was named head coach in December 1999, EMU was searching for a head coach to build a bigger, stronger, faster, more competitive football team. Heading into year three of the rebuilding process, Woodruff has finally found a group of veterans and youngsters that are becoming bigger, stronger and faster, which should lead to an outstanding season in 2002.
"There is no doubt that two strong recruiting classes, and a lot of hard work in the weight room have improved the overall look of our team," Woodruff said. "We've had 94 percent of our players record personal bests in the weight room and 58 percent of them have increased their speed. That will make a big impact on the field. I am very excited to get into the season and work with what I consider a new and improved team."
A total of 29 lettermen will comprise the bulk of the squad for 2002.
OFFENSE
Offensively, the Eagles suffered a setback after spring practice was completed when quarterback Kainoa Akina decided to immediately transfer to the University of Hawaii. Akina (5-11, 192, So.-So.) was pressed into action at quarterback last year as a"true" freshman and he started in seven of the last eight games of the season and completed 140 of 267 passes for 1,504 yards and 14 touchdowns. In addition, Akina finished second on the team in rushing, gaining 177 yards on 84 rushes with two touchdowns on the ground.
With Akina out of the picture, the quarterback battle will be wide open with four returnees and one "true" freshman hunting for the starter's nod. Junior college standout Jeff Crooks (6-2, 210, Sr.-Jr.), t h r e e -y e a r letterman Troy Edwards (6-2, 210, Sr.-Sr.), redshirt sophomore Chinedu Okoro (6-1, 205, Jr.-So.), and redshirt junior Rick Pyle (6-3, 205, Sr.-Jr.) are the veteran signal callers, while the new addition will be Canadian High School standout Eric Deslauriers (6-5, 200, Fr.-Fr.) who decided in the early summer to attend EMU.
Crooks started the first and third games last year before missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Crooks completed 21-of-47 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown in his limited duty. Edwards played in all 11 games as the holder on placements and saw action in five as a quarterback. He completed 34-of-75 passes for 320 yards.
Both Okoro and Pyle were preparation team quarterbacks last year but both have a chance to gain some playing time in 2002. Deslauriers first caught the attention of the Eagles' coaching staff when he had a strong showing at the University of Michigan prep camp in 2001. He turned in an outstanding final year of high school, completing 77-of-177 passes for 1,347 yards and 10 touchdowns.
"True" freshman tailback Chris R. Roberson (5-11, 185, So.-So.) enjoyed an exceptional rookie season, leading the team rushing with 755 yards to go along with four touchdowns, three on the ground.
Woodruff is counting on the return of Ime Akpan (6-0, 230, Sr.-Sr.) along with the addition of two sophomores, Anthony Sherrell (5-11, 200, So.-So.) and Kaliym Hazel (5-9, 180, So.-So.), to give the Eagles enough depth at tailback to enable C.R. Roberson to make the permanent switch to his more natural position, wide receiver.
Akpan missed most of the 2001 season with a knee injury but rushed 25 times for 98 yards and four touchdowns in four outings at the end of the year. Sherrell and Hazel were both outstanding high school tailbacks, Sherrell at Orchard Lake St. Mary's in Michigan and Hazel at Hackensack H.S. in New Jersey, and both attended EMU last year but were ineligible to compete.
Veteran wide receiver Kevin Walter (6-3, 225, Sr.-Sr.) returns after leading the team in receiving last year with 62 catches for 748 yards and six touchdowns. He earned honorable mention All-Mid-American Conference honors for his outstanding play in 2001 and has become one of the strongest players on the team, bench-pressing well over 400 pounds.
Wide receivers Jamal Stevens, third in receptions, and Chris Archie, fourth in catches last year, graduated, leaving some work to be done at the wideout slots.
"True" freshman Chris Talley (6- 0, 185, So.-So.) was pressed into action at another wideout spot last year and joins veterans Erik Ibom (6- 2 1/2, 200, Sr.-Sr.) and Alonzo Harris (6-2, 200, Jr.-So.) in that receiver group. Newcomers A.J. Bennett (5-10 1/2, 175, Fr.-Fr.), Dan Fugate (6-2, 200, Fr.-Fr.), and LaGarian Houston (5-8, 165, Fr.-Fr.), will join returnee James Stanford (6-2, 193, Jr.-So.), to give the Eagles more speed at wide receiver.
With starters Cory Annett (center), John Grabowski (left tackle), Chuck Butkowski (right guard), and Rich Chorak (right tackle) all lost through graduation, the offensive line returns just two regulars in the interior.
Tight end Kevin Zureki (6-2 1/2, 255, Sr.-Jr.) and left guard Dan Davis (6-4 1/2, 275, Jr.-So.) are the only interior line starters returning. Zureki caught 10 passes for 111 yards and Davis started the first six games before injuries cut short his season.
Offensive linemen who should step in immediately this fall will be Michael Johnson (6-3 1/2, 300, Sr.-Jr.) at left tackle, Gemayel Cowser (6-3 1/2, 270, So.-Fr.), Scott Golem (6-4, 282, So.-So.), and Derrick Swanigan (6- 2, 330, Jr.-Jr.) at the guard spots, and converted tight end Tom Kaleita (6-5, 300, So.-So.) at right tackle.
Pushing those expected starters for playing time on the offensive front will be Mario Tucker (6-3,310, Jr.-So.), and Sam Estes (6-6, 325, So.-Fr.) at the two tackle spots; Brian Booth (6-3, 287, So.-Fr.), Steven Godbold (6-2, 280, Jr.-So.), and Nick Suszan (6-2 1/2, 261, Jr.-So.) at the guard spots and junior-college transfer Lloyd Wilson (6-2, 300, Jr.-Jr.), and Brian Harper (6-0, 300, So.-Fr.) at center.
DEFENSE
Defensively, the biggest problem facing the EMU coaching staff will be how to replace the one-two linebacking duo of Scott Russell and Kenny Philpot, both four-year regulars and second-team All-MAC performers last year. "I'm not sure that you can effectively replace two players like Scott (Russell) and Kenny (Philpot)," Woodruff explained. "They were outstanding players here for a long time and that consistency is not easily attainable, but we feel we have some strong veterans ready to step in and make the defense a tough unit."
Returning defensive starters include linemen Matt Kudu (6-3, 272, So.-So.), Jari Brown (6-4, 265, Sr.-Sr.), and Chris J. Roberson (6-2, 240, Sr.-Sr.). Kudu started seven games last year as a "true" freshman and had 41 tackles. Brown has been a starter for the past two seasons and had 30 stops last season while Roberson (no relation to tailback C.R. Roberson) came on strong as a first-year starter last year.
Players being counted on to improve on the line include Hammond Russell (6-0, 300, Sr.-Sr.), Eric Pettway (6-2, 275, So.-So.), Matt Lisek (6-2, 250, So.-Fr.), Olivier Gagnon-Gordillo (6-4, 243, So.-Fr.), Brian Jenkins (6-1, 270, Jr.-Jr.),and Lennard Wornum (5-11, 253, Sr.-Jr.).
Without a returning starter at linebacker, David Lusky (6-2, 230, Sr.-Jr.), Kevin Harrison (6-1, 235, Jr.-So.), and Keyvon Barbee (5-11 1/2, 225, So.-So.) will battle Mike Salvatori (6-2, 220, Sr.-Jr.), Steven Bednarik (6-1 1/2, 220, So.-Fr.), and John Wester (6-1, 230, So.-Fr.) for playing time.
Lusky is the heir apparent to Scott Russell's middle linebacker spot. A two-year letterman, Lusky recorded 34 tackles in a backup role last year. Barbee played in 10 games, two as a starter, as a "true" freshman last season and responded with 11 tackles. Harrison finally seems to be breaking free from the injuries that have nagged him during his three-year EMU career.
The secondary was a work in progress last year and returns three starters, two of them "true" freshmen.
Veteran cornerback Erick Middleton (5-11, 200, Sr.-Sr.) enjoyed his best season as an Eagle in 2001, leading the team in interceptions with three and recording 56 tackles, fifth best on the team.
"True" freshmen Michael Woods (5-10, 170, So.-So.) and Jerry Gaines (6-2, 180, So.-So.) were pushed into emergency starter roles at cornerback and safety respectively, and both responded with valiant efforts.
Woods had 22 tackles in nine games and Gaines recorded 33 stops in 10 outings. Competition at the corners will come from Nate Brooks (5-9, 177, Jr.-So.), Steven Lewis (5-8, 155, So.-So.), and Gavin Gardner (5-9 1/2, 172, So.-Fr.), and "true" freshmen Geoff Pope (6-0, 175, Fr.-Fr.), and Yves Dieudonne (6-2, 160, Fr.-Fr.).
The free safety spot is vacant after last year's starter, Marvin Harris, decided not to return to school. Woodruff tapped junior college transfer Jamie Manor (6-0, 205, Jr.-Jr.) in the 2002 recruiting class and he held down the starter's role in spring drills. Players behind Manor include Corey Edwards (5-10, 185, Jr.-So.) and Frank Archie (5-10 1/2, 188, Jr.-Jr.).
Backups to Gaines at strong safety will be Corey Parker (6-1, 180, Jr.-So.), and Manasse Zephir (6-0, 205, Fr.-Fr.).
SPECIAL TEAMS
The specialists group will be another strength for the Eagles, with just one player, Toller Starnes, lost through graduation.
David Rysko (6-1, 197, Sr.-Jr.) returns after serving as the starting punter all season as a first-year junior-college transfer. He responded with a 35.8 average on 88 kicks. Placekicker Eric Klaban (5-10, 171, Sr.-Sr.) handled all of the kickoff duties last year and shared the field-goal job with Starnes. Klaban connected on 7-of-10 field goals and will move smoothly into the full-time spot. A newcomer competing for kickoff and long-field goal duties will be incoming freshman Andy Schaefer (6- 1, 245, Fr.-Fr.), a standout prep kicker at Schaumburg (Ill.) H.S.
