Feb. 4, 2004
Quotes from Larry Lewis' Press Conference
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Pocatello, ID -- Idaho State University head football coach Larry Lewis has announced the list of 23 recruits that have signed to play with the Bengals next fall. Today is the national signing day for the NCAA, when high school and junior college student-athletes can sign scholarship papers to play college football.
The signees join an impressive list of returning players that led the Bengals to an 8-4 record and a #22 national ranking in 2003. Idaho State has had three winning seasons out of the last four, and they posted back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time in school history. Idaho State also has been nationally ranked in 21 of the last 22 national polls.
Here is a look at the 2004 signing class (athletes marked with an * indicate that they are already attending Idaho State):
Josh Barnett
Running Back
5-11, 175, Fr, HS
Riverside, California
J.W. North HS
HS ... Lettered in football at J.W. North High School ... helped his team to the state championship in 2003 ... was named his league's Most Valuable Player as well as First Team All-County and First Team All-CIF as a senior ... earned those same distinctions as a junior, and was a Second Team All-League pick as a sophomore ... rushed for school records of 2,180 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior ... is also J.W. North's all-time career rushing leader ... Personal ... His parents are Greg and Terri Barnett ... has four brothers and sisters: Jamil, Kamil, Rajgee, and Tiana ... is undecided on a major ... his birthday is August 1, 1986.
Tyrus Beckwith
Defensive Line
6-1, 290, Fr, HS
Las Mesa, California
Helix Charter HS
HS ... Lettered in football for three years at Helix Charter High School, as well as baseball and track for two years ... helped his team to a pair of state championships in 2001 and 2002, and runner-up finish in 2003 ... earned the Helix "Mad Dog" Award as best defensive lineman ... was named First Team All-Grossmont South League and First Team All-East County as a senior ... was a team captain in a senior ... Personal ... His parents are Tyrus and Dawn Beckwith ... will major in pharmacy ... his birthday is September 27, 1986.
Kenyon Blue
Running Back/Wide Receiver
5-7, 180, Fr, HS
San Diego, California
Helix Charter HS
HS ... Lettered in football for two years at Helix Charter High School, as well as track for two ... helped his team to a state championship in 2002, and runner-up finish in 2003 ... was named First Team All-Grossmont South League and First Team All-East County as a senior, rushing for 1,165 yards and 11 touchdowns on 170 carries ... was named Helix's "Iron Man" award winner ... served as a team captain ... Personal ... His parents are Kennis and Kaleen Blue ... has a brother Kaden ... will major in business ... his birthday is March 24, 1986.
Eric Bullen
Quarterback
6-4, 210, Fr, HS
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Bonneville HS
HS ... Lettered in football, baseball and basketball for three years at Bonneville High School ... was named team Most Valuable Player as a junior and as a senior ... also earned First Team All-State honors in basketball, helping Bonneville to a state title ... Personal ... His parents are Robert and Denise Bullen ... has a brother Nathan, and two sisters, Jennifer and Lori ... is undecided on a major ... his birthday is November 4, 1985 ... his father Robert wrestled and played football at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho).
D.J. Clark
Defensive Back
6-2, 190, Fr, HS
Oceanside, California
El Camino HS
HS ... Lettered in football and track for three years each at El Camino High School ... as a senior was First Team All-North County and First Team All-Avocado League ... was named Second Team All-Union Tribune and Second Team All-CIF ... also was named All-San Diego Section ... had three interceptions as a senior, and played on offense as well, scoring six touchdowns ... was a team captain ... ran the 100-meter in track at 10.8 and the 200-meter in 21.6 ... Personal ... His parents are Al and Karen Clark ... has a brother Andre, and a sister Arlia ... will major in business ... his birthday is November 30, 1986.
Devin Clark
Offensive Lineman
6-4, 280, Fr, HS
Mesa, Arizona
Mt. View Mesa HS
HS ... Lettered in football for three years at Mt. View Mesa High School ... was named First Team All-State and First Team All-Region as an offensive lineman ... also was First Team All-Arizona Tribune as a senior ... was a Second Team All-State and All-Region pick as a junior ... helped his team to a state title as a junior and to the finals once against as a senior ... Personal ... His parents are Scott and Janet Clark ... has two sisters, Melissa and Katie ... will major in criminal justice ... his birthday is May 22, 1986.
Ken Cornist
Running Back
5-11, 200, Fr, HS
San Diego, California
Helix Charter HS
HS ... Lettered in football for three years at Helix Charter High School, as well as track for three ... helped his team to a pair of state championships in 2001 and 2002, and runner-up finish in 2003 ... was named Helix's team MVP and was a Second Team All-CIF pick after rushing for 1,530 yards and 11 touchdowns on 249 carries ... was also a Second Team All-San Diego Union Tribune pick ... also earned a First Team All-CIF selection as a wide receiver in his career as well ... served as a team captain ... Personal ... his parents are Ken and DeLance Cornist ... will major in education ... his birthday is June 4, 1985 ... his cousin David Hinton played at Arizona and with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jermaine Horn
Defensive Line
6-2, 270, Jr, JC
Riverside, California
Riverside CC
Norte Vista HS
JC ... Was a two-year letterwinner at Riverside Community College ... was named an Honorable Mention All-American in 2003 after recording 90 tackles and 14 sacks ... was a First Team All-Conference pick ... HS ... Lettered in football, baseball, and basketball, each for two seasons, at Norte Vista High School ... was a two-time All-Sunkist League pick as well as a two time team MVP ... was also named All-Riverside County and First Team All-CIF ... he was the 2001 Pepsi Athlete of the Year for the Citrus Belt region ... helped his team to the state semifinals as a senior ... in baseball he was a two-time All-Sunkist League pick and All-Riverside County, leading Norte Vista to the state semifinals twice ... averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds per game as a senior in basketball ... Personal ... His parents are Liberty and Carrie Horn ... will major in communications ... his birthday is March 29, 1983 ... was Homecoming King in high school as a senior.
Ryan Hunt
Offensive Line
6-4, 260, Fr, HS
Tigard, Oregon
Tigard HS
HS ... Lettered in football at Tigard High School ... was named First Team All-State and First Team All-League as a senior as both an offensive and a defensive lineman ... was a key player in Tigard's 2003 state championship ... Personal ... His parents are Ron and Carol Hunt ... has a sister Charday Hunt ... will major in counseling ... his birthday is May 19, 1986 ... his father Ron played at the University of Oregon and for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Josh Galloway
Defensive Line
6-3, 215, Fr, HS
Reno, Nevada
Reno HS
HS ... Lettered in football and track at Reno High School ... was named First Team All-League and Second Team All-Region in 2004 ... was a key ingredient in Reno's 2003 state championship ... Personal ... his parents are Mark and Phoebe Galloway ... has two brothers Jake and Caleb ... is undecided on a major ... his birthday is March 13, 1986.
*Marcell Lagrone
Defensive Back
6-2, 190, Jr, JC
San Diego, California
Southwestern College
Lincoln HS
JC ... played two years for Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California, where he earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from JC Gridwire magazine ... was his team's Most Valuable Player ... also earned First Team All-State and All-Conference honors ... as a sophomore he registered 131 tackles, 59 solo ... had four forced fumbles, three sacks, eight passes broken up, and he blocked four kicks ... as a freshman, he registered 96 tackles, 39 solo ... he had three interceptions, two of which he brought back for touchdowns, and forced three fumbles ... HS ... lettered for three years in football at Lincoln Prep ... Personal ... his parents are Carl and Lisa Lagrone... will major in education ... his birthday is April 12, 1982 ... his father and brother both played football at the University of Nevada.
Luc Martin
Quarterback
6-4, 215, Fr, HS
Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls HS
HS ... lettered in football and basketball at Twin Falls High School ... was named his team's Player of the Year, leading Twin Falls to the East Conference title ... was a Second Team All-State pick and a First Team All-Conference pick as a senior ... named Second Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-Area as a junior ... Personal ... His parents are Joe and Bev Martin ... has four brothers: Matt, Josh, Sam, and Joey ... will major in education ... his birthday is June 10, 1985 ... two of his brothers, Josh and Sam, played for Eastern Washington ... an honor roll member in high school with a 3.3 grade point average.
Bruce Minnett
Wide Receiver
6-2, 175, Fr, HS
Corona, California
Centennial HS
HS ... lettered in football and track at Centennial High School ... was named First Team All-League ... led his team to the league championship, hauling in 25 catches for 591 yards and seven touchdowns ... averaged 23.6 yards per catch as a senior ... was awarded the "Playmaker Award" by his coaches ... helped his team to the state semifinals as a senior ... Personal ... His mother is Sharon Minnett ... will major in business ... his birthday is December 8, 1985.
John Morales
Offensive Line
6-2, 270, Fr, HS
Chula Vista, California
Chula Vista HS
HS ... Lettered in football for three years at Chula Vista High School, along with basketball for two and track for one ... was named First Team All-Mesa League and Second Team All-San Diego County ... voted Chula Vista's "Best Offensive Lineman" was the 2003 Pepsi Fall Athlete of the Year, helped Chula Vista to an undefeated league season ... was named Second Team All-Mesa League as a defensive lineman in 2002 ... Personal ... His parents are John and Jaclyn Morales ... will major in engineering ... his birthday is May 23, 1986 ... was named as Chula Vista's "Big Man on Campus" and Homecoming King.
Todd Parker
Defensive Back/Wide Receiver
6-0, 180, Fr, HS
Preston, Idaho
Preston HS
HS ... Lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track at Preston High School ... was named Second Team All-State as a senior ... a three-year starter as both a safety and a receiver ... was named Special Teams MVP ... scored 20 touchdowns with over 2,000 career receiving yards ... Preston finished third in the state during his sophomore year, the first of three straight state playoff appearances ... Personal ... His parents are Mark and Amy Parker ... his five brothers and sisters: Jessica, Cara, Whitney, Britney, and Tyler ... is undecided on a major ... his birthday is October 10, 1985.
Jimmy Recourt
Defensive Back
5-11, 185, Fr, HS
Spring Valley, California
Monte Vista HS
HS ... Lettered in football and track at Monte Vista High School ... was named First Team All-Grossmont South and First Team All-East County as well as First Team All-CIF ... was voted Monte Vista's "Most Inspirational" and "Best Leader" ... was a team captain and on the Honor Roll ... Personal ... His parents are Jim and Betsy Recourt ... will major in business ... his birthday is April 23, 1986 ... his uncle Jack Layliane played with the Green Bay Packers in the late 1960s.
Chris Ruiz
Linebacker
6-1, 230, Fr, HS
Nampa, Idaho
Nampa HS
HS ... Lettered in football, wrestling, basketball, and track at Nampa High School ... was a First Team All-State and All-League pick last season in football ... finished fourth in the state in wrestling in 2002 and third in 2001 ... in 2002 he was ranked 27th nationally in the 215-pound weight class ... Personal ... His parents are Brian and Candie Holland ... has a sister Deia Holland ... is undecided on a major ... his birthday is January 1, 1986 ... his father played linebacker at Idaho State.
*Dustin Schroader
Defensive Line
6-5, 270, Jr, JC
Salt Lake City, Utah
Snow College
Highland HS
JC ... Was a two-year letterwinner at Snow College, where he helped the Badgers to a pair of wins in the Golden Isle Bowl ... in 2003 he led Snow College in sacks and was an Honorable Mention All-American ... was ranked as one of the top 10 defensive ends in the nation in 2003, and he was named MVP of the Golden Isle Bowl ... Snow finished the season ranked #4 ... also led the team in sacks as a freshman ... HS ... Lettered in football and baseball at Highland High School ... was a two-time All-State selection in both football and baseball ... helped his team finish as state runner-up in 2003 in football, and he also helped the baseball team to a fourth place state finish ... Personal ... His parents are Jack Schroader and Terrie Edmonds ... has two sisters, Chandia Nulph and Corrine Schroader ... will major in physical education ... his birthday is November 19, 1982 ... his father played football at Utah.
Evan Smith
Offensive Line
6-4, 255, Fr, HS
Salinas, California
Salinas HS
HS ... Lettered in football and basketball for four years apiece at Salinas High School ... was his teams' captain and earned the "Golden Helmet" award during his senior year as team MVP ... was a First Team All-Tri-County pick as both an offensive and a defensive lineman in 2003 ... was named Monterey Herald All-County and Salinas Californian All-County as well as a Cal Hi Sports Preseason Honor Squad member ... Salinas went undefeated in league play in 2003, and they were section semifinalists his junior year ... was also a First Team All-Conference offensive lineman as a junior ... in basketball he led his team to a league championship as a senior, and to the NorCal State semifinals ... was a Second Team All-League pick in basketball as a senior ... Personal ... His parents are Albert and Laura Smith ... has a brother, Alex Smith, who is a Specialist, Team Leader, U.S. Army, 10th Mtn. Division ... will possibly major in mechanical engineering ... his birthday is July 19, 1986 ... was named a scholar-athlete every quarter of high school with a grade point average of 3.00 or better.
*Ryan Slack
Kicker
6-1, 195, Jr, Tr
Tucson, Arizona
University of Arizona
Salpointe Catholic HS
Arizona ... Was a two-year letterwinner for the Wildcats, where he walked-on, earning the team's starting nod as a kickoff specialist ... recorded a solo tackle in 2002 ... earned the Mary Roby Academic Award at while at Arizona ... HS ... Lettered in football, soccer, and baseball at Salpointe Catholic High School ... was a high school teammate of current Bengals Anthony Henderson and Kyle McQuown ... was named both All-State and All-Region, and he was also named KVOA Channel 4 Player of the Week ... went 15-for-19 on field goals as a senior, with seven of those kicks from beyond 40 yards ... helped Salpointe to the state semifinals ... Personal ... His parents are Roy and Mary Slack... has a brother Jacob ... will major in mass communications and minor in business ... his birthday is February 15, 1983 ... was named Homecoming King his senior year at Salpointe.
Joseph Strayhand
Running Back
5-10, 185, Fr, HS
Glendale, Arizona
Moon Valley HS
HS ... Lettered in football for three years and track for four at Moon Valley High School ... rushed for over 2,000 yards in being named First Team All-Region and First Team All-State ... was voted "Best Running Back in Arizona" and he was also a "Best in the West" selection ... served as a team captain ... helped his team to the state semifinals ... Personal ... His parents are Tony and Yolanda Strayhand ... has two brothers Julius and Jason ... will possibly major in criminal justice ... his birthday is February 12, 1986 ... his brother Jason plays for Northern Arizona.
Eddie Thompson
Wide Receiver
5-10, 170, Fr, HS
Antelope, California
Foothill HS
HS ... Lettered in football and basketball at Foothill High School ... was named First Team All-League and Second Team All-City after grabbing 16 catches for 305 yards, and rushing 43 times for 386 yards ... was named Defensive MVP after picking off five passes as a senior ... was a key player in Foothill's 2003 state basketball title, earning "Sportsmanship Award" for the state tournament ... earned his team's "Sportsmanship Award" ... a four-year Honor Roll member ... Personal ... his parents are Rick and Kim Thompson ... is undecided on a major ... his birthday is February 1, 1986.
*David Tongolei
Defensive Line
6-1, 290, Jr, JC
Ontario, California
Snow College
Montclair HS
JC ... Was a two-year letterwinner at Snow College, where he helped the Badgers to a pair of wins in the Golden Isle Bowl ... Snow finished the season ranked #4 ... helped the Badgers to a pair of Western States Football League Championships ... HS ... Lettered in football at Montclair High School ... was an Honorable Mention All-Conference lineman ... Personal ... His parents are Hasimani and Elenoa Tongolei ... has six brothers and sisters: Ray, Tila, Lela, Marrie, Hea and Kuipo ... he and his wife Kristina have a three-year old son, David, Jr. ... will major in physical education ... his birthday is August 3, 1980.
Morris Wooten
Linebacker
6-1, 215, Fr, HS
Phoenix, Arizona
Maryvale HS
HS ... Lettered in football for two years at Maryville High School ... was an Second Team All-State pick as a senior, as well as First Team All-Region ... was named Region Defensive Player of the Year ... was also named All-Arizona Informant ... was a team captain ... Personal ... His mother is Aretha Anderson ... has three brothers and sisters: Shamillia Harris, Camillia Harris, and Jerone Anderson ... is undecided on a major ... his birthday is February 6, 1986.
Complete Alphabetical Listing of Signing Day Recruiting Class
Player Pos Ht Wt Cl Ex Hometown (Last School)
Josh Barnett RB 5-11 175 Fr HS Riverside, CA (J.W. North HS)
Tyrus Beckwith DL 6-1 290 Fr HS Las Mesa, CA (Helix Charter HS)
Kenyon Blue RB/WR 5-7 180 Fr HS San Diego, CA (Helix Charter HS)
Eric Bullen QB 6-4 210 Fr HS Idaho Falls, ID (Bonneville HS)
D.J. Clark DB 6-2 190 Fr HS Oceanside, CA (El Camino HS)
Devin Clark OL 6-4 280 Fr HS Mesa, AZ (Mt. View Mesa HS)
Ken Cornist RB 5-11 200 Fr HS San Diego, CA (Helix Charter HS)
Josh Galloway DL 6-3 215 Fr HS Reno, NV (Reno HS)
Jermaine Horn DL 6-2 270 Jr JC Riverside, CA (Riverside CC/Norte Vista HS)
Ryan Hunt OL 6-4 260 Fr HS Tigard, OR (Tigard HS)
*Marcell Lagrone DB 6-2 190 Jr JC San Diego, CA (Southwestern College/Lincoln HS)
Luc Martin QB 6-4 215 Fr HS Twin Falls, ID (Twin Falls HS)
Bruce Minnett WR 6-2 175 Fr HS Corona, CA (Centennial HS)
John Morales OL 6-2 270 Fr HS Chula Vista, CA (Chula Vista HS)
Todd Parker DB/WR 6-0 180 Fr HS Preston, ID (Preston HS)
Jimmy Recourt DB 5-11 185 Fr HS Spring Valley, CA (Monte Vista HS)
Chris Ruiz LB 6-1 230 Fr HS Nampa, ID (Nampa HS)
*Dustin Schroader DL 6-5 270 Jr JC Salt Lake City, UT (Snow College/Highland HS)
Evan Smith OL 6-4 255 Fr HS Salinas, CA (Salinas HS)
*Ryan Slack K 6-1 195 Jr Tr Tucson, AZ (Univ. of Arizona/Salpointe Catholic HS)
Joseph Strayhand RB 5-10 185 Fr HS Glendale, AZ (Moon Valley HS)
Eddie Thompson WR 5-10 170 Fr HS Antelope, CA (Foothill HS)
*David Tongolei DL 6-1 290 Jr JC Ontario, CA (Snow College/Montclair HS)
Morris Wooten LB 6-1 215 Fr HS Phoenix, AZ (Maryvale HS)
*currently enrolled at Idaho State
