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Football
UNI Football Inks 25 Student-Athletes on National Signing Day
Farley said he is pleased that 19 of the 25 student-athletes played within the state borders last season, including 15 that competed for "We are committed to building the foundation of our team through high school football in the state of Farley also said there will be players that will have an impact in 2007 for the Panthers. "We needed immediate help at some key positions on defense and we addressed those needs through the junior colleges here in Even with a focus on the state of "The out-of-state kids we signed will compliment the in-state kids," Farley said. "We still got into UNI is coming off a 7-4 season that saw the Panthers finish No. 17 in the national rankings. The Panthers finished 5-2 in the rugged Gateway Football Conference - good enough for second place in the nation's toughest league. UNI's annual spring game is set for Sat., April 21 in the UNI-Dome. 2007 SIGNEES Ben Alford, 6-3, 205, S, NJCAA and JC Grid-Wire honorable mention all-America pick in 2006 at North Iowa Area Community College ... Midwest Football Conference West Division Offensive Player of the Year ... MFC West Division Quarterback of the Year ... first-team all-region selection ... team offensive MVP ... served as team captain ... finished in the top four in the nation for the Offensive Player of the Year award ... passed for 1,488 yards and 11 touchdowns ... rushed for 749 yards and 10 touchdowns ... Born Aug. 12, 1984 ... son of Dewey and Susie Alford ... wife's name is Ashley. Kaleb Admire (6-3, 275, DL, Earned second-team Class 4A all-state honors from the Iowa Newspaper Association ... a first-team all-conference selection as a junior and senior ... an all-metro selection ... three-year letterwinner in football and two-year letterwinner in track ... born Aug. 5, 1988 ... son of Pat and Beth Admire. LaQuentin Black (5-8, 165, ATH, All-state selection by Daily Oklahoman ... all-area offensive Player of the Year ... Oklahoma Coaches Association all-state selection ... rushed for 1,894 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior ... scored 39 total touchdowns in 2006 ... tallied 11 100-plus rushing efforts and had 10 games with at least three rushing touchdowns ... rushed for 233 yards against Kingston and 215 yards against Henryetta ... notched 11 interceptions on defense including three vs. Heritage Hall ... passed for 458 yards and seven touchdowns as senior ... led the football team to one state final and two state semifinal appearances ... two-time state runnerup in long jump (22'11") ... state finalist in the 100-meter dash ... two-time state finalist in high jump (6'5") ... born June 26, 1988 ... son of Bryant Black and Nicole Shirley Andrew BlackLance (6-6, 312, OL, 2006 North Country all-conference selection on the offensive line ... two-year starter for two-time Section 8AAA champion Thief River Falls Prowlers ... earned Section 8AAAA all-state nomination ... 2005 all-conference honorable mention pick ... honor roll student ... also plays basketball ... born July 27, 1988 ... son of Terry and Tammie BlackLance. Ben Boothby (6-0, 270, DL, Named to the Des Moines Register's Elite All-State team ... first-team all-state (Class 4A) selection by the Iowa Newspaper Association and the Des Moines Register ... unanimous all-MAC pick on offense and defense ... first-team all-metro captain pick by Quad City Times ... Clinton Herald Player of the Year ... 2007 Shrine Bowl invitee ... opened holes for MAC leading rusher Tony Bassett, who rushed for 1,515 yards ... placed third in the state at heavyweight in wrestling as a junior ... born Sept. 10, 1988 ... son of Jim and Rhonda Boothby. Tredarrius Canady (5-11, 185, RB/DB, Named to the Des Moines Register's Elite All-State team ... first-team all-state (Class 4A) pick by the Iowa Newspaper Association and the Des Moines Register ... tallied 3,970 career rushing yards at Sioux City East High School ... rushed for 1,759 yards and 24 touchdowns in leading his prep squad to the Missouri River Conference title and a berth into the state playoffs as a senior ... rushed for 1,876 yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior, while earning second-team all-state honors ... rushed 33 times for 364 yards and six touchdowns against Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson as a junior ... rushed for 335 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore ... had 16 100-plus rushing efforts as a junior and a senior ... registered 69 tackles in 2006 ... moved to Sioux City from Bastrout, La., when he was six years old ... born June 5, 1989 ... son of Debra Canady. Josh Collins (5-9, 180, ATH, Second-team all-state (Class 4A) pick by the Iowa Newspaper Association as a defensive back ... a third-team all-state selection as a junior ... made metro prep history when he started as a freshman at defensive back for the Wolverines, becoming the first ninth-grader in the modern era to play varsity football at one of Sioux City's public high schools ... played quarterback as both a sophomore and junior ... rushed for 1,073 yards as a junior ... moved to running back as a senior and rushed for a school record 1,410 yards on 245 carries ... also set West's records for career rushing yards (3,142) and career touchdowns (29) ... also earned third-team all-state honors in basketball as a junior ... born Dec. 15, 1988 ... son of Kim and Michael Williams. Zach Davis (6-2, 190, QB, Two-time first-team all-state (Class 3A) pick by the Iowa Newspaper Association and the Des Moines Register ... threw for 3,833 career passing yards and 40 career touchdowns ... posted a career mark of 16-5 as a starting quarterbacks ... passed for 2,166 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior ... rushed for 645 yards and six touchdowns ... led the Demons to a 9-2 mark and a spot in the state quarterfinals ... passed for 1,543 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior ... on defense in 2006 he tallied 79 tackles, recorded a fumble and intercepted a pass ... first-team all-district selection as a junior and senior ... 2007 Shrine Bowl All-Star game invitee ... first-team all-state basketball player as a junior ... first-team all-district basketball player ... born Feb. 14, 1989 ... son of Monte Davis and Shelley Greiner. Will Eilert (6-4, 235, TE, Earned first-team all-state Class 3A honors from the Iowa Newspaper Association and Des Moines Register as a junior and senior ... first-team all-district selection as a junior and senior ... KGRN all-area first-team as a junior and senior ... 2007 Shrine Bowl All-Star game invitee ... all-conference basketball player ... state track qualifier in the shot put and discus ... all-conference baseball player ... born Oct. 22, 1988 ... son of Dave Eilert and Amy Graves. Shawn Gerard (6-4, 215, ILB, Named to the Des Moines Register's Elite All-State team ... earned first-team Class 4A all-state honors from the Iowa Newspaper Association and the Des Moines Register ... first-team all-conference selection on both offense and defense ... member of the Quad City Times first-team all-metro squad ... 2007 Shrine Bowl All-Star game invitee ... third-team all-state as a junior ... state track qualifier in high hurdles as a sophomore and junior ... high school coach: Dave Jacobsen ... born Oct. 14, 1988 ... son of Quinton and Sue Gerard. De'Veon Harris (6-1, 215, OLB, First-team all-region selection at North Iowa Area Community College in 2006 ... led the team in tackles and forced fumbles at NIACC ... selected as defensive MVP by his teammates ... originally attended the University of Toledo after high school ... given the Rocket Award for being the top redshirt freshman defensive player in the Rockets' camp ... first-team all-state pick as senior in the state of Florida ... first-team team all-Broward County ... played in the North vs. South All-Star game ... led his prep team in tackles and interceptions as senior ... selected his team MVP as a senior ... served as team captain ... born Oct. 31, 1985 ... son of Sharita Harris. Mitch Houk (6-7, 255, OL, Earned first-team all-conference honors as an offensive lineman ... served as team captain as a senior ... three-year letterwinner in football ... letterwinner in track ... honor roll student ... born Nov. 26, 1988 ... son of Julia Sheperd. Montari Leonard (5-9, 160, WR, Ranked among the top wide receivers in central Florida ... all-region defensive back by Prepstar.com ... helped the Mainland Buccaneers to a 13-1 mark as a senior ... tallied 10 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns ... had nine punt returns for 124 yards ... ran a kickoff return back 92 yards for a touchdown against Melbourne HS ... as a sophomore at Deland High School he was a Five Star all-conference selection with 50 tackles and three interceptions ... played wide receiver as a junior and caught 22 passes for 576 yards and six touchdowns ... high school coach: John Maronto ... born June 26, 1989 ... son of Adrienne Leonard. Darrell Lloyd (6-0, 191, CB, O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt North HS/Iowa Central CC) First-team all-region pick at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa ... a three-year starter on both offense and defense at Fort Zumwalt North High School ... honorable mention all-state pick as a running back in 2003 ... three-time first-team all-conference selection at running back ... earned all-conference honors as a freshman at outside linebacker ... first-team all-conference selection in basketball in 2004 ... first-team all-state honoree in track in 2002 and 2004 ... high school coach: Leroy Shumaker ... born Oct. 11, 1986 ... son of Ronnell and Rosiland Lloyd. Kendall McKellum (6-1, 185, WR, A 2006 Oklahoma Coaches Association all-state selection ... first-team all-district pick at wide receiver and punter for the Rangers ... outstanding basketball and track athlete as well ... high school coach: Kevin Busch ... born Dec. 6, 1988, in Curtis Meier (5-11, 187, S, Robins, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Kennedy HS/Iowa Central CC) Honorable mention all-America pick as a sophomore at Michael Penn (6-3, 215, WR, Tallied 648 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns at Minneapolis Southwest High School ... averaged 29 yards per catch ... served as team captain ... high school coach: Sean McMenomy ... born Sept. 29, 1987 ... son of Tracey Penn and Michael Penn Sr. Adam Roberts (5-11, 181, CB, Started the past two seasons at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M ... all-state honorable mention pick as a prep senior at Southeast High School in Oklahoma City ... first-team Big All-City ... first-team all-district ... all-city and district defensive back of the year ... member of the Class 5A back-to-back state championship basketball team ... born June 12, 1987 ... son of Alvin and Vonnie Roberts. Jeremy Robertson (6-4, 255, DE, First-team all-region selection at North Iowa Area Community College in 2006 ... a 2006 preseason all-America pick ... honorable mention all-region selection in 2005 ... two-year starter ... voted NIACC's best defensive lineman by teammates and coaching staff ... born March 8, 1986 ... son of Vernita Robertson. John Shaw (5-7, 200, RB/FB, Rivals Two-Star prospect out of national power St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, Pa ... team lost five games in four years and finished ranked 15th in the nation in 2002; 3rd in the nation in 2003 ... four-year letterwinner and three-year starter ... finished 10th all-time in career rushing yardage in Philadelphia history ... three-time All-Catholic, two-time All-City and two-time All-Area Selection ... two-time team MVP while serving as team captain his senior season ... named the area's top back by Football Stories the Magazine ... USA Today National Player of the Week after victory over St. Ignatius ... recipient of the John Spahr Award given to a member of the senior class who best exemplifies Leadership and the Jesuit motto of "Men for Others" ... accomplished track sprinter ... born Dec. 28, 1986 ... one of five children ... son of Drew and Linda Shaw. Jordan Smith (6-2, 210, OLB, Helped guide Humboldt to a 12-1 record and the Class 3A state championship, the first in school history ... was named the Class 3A state championship game Casey's Player of the Game ... MVP of the 2006 State Championship Series ... first-team all-state selection by the Iowa Newspaper Association and the Des Moines Register ... two-time first-team all-district selection ... served as team captain ... placed sixth in the 2A state wrestling meet at 189 pounds in 2006 ... two-time state qualifier in track ... placed fifth in the state in the 4x400 relay in 2006 ... Drake Relays qualifier ... earned letters in football (3), wrestling (3) and track (3) ... honor roll student ... high school coach: Greg Thomas ... born April 9, 1989 ... son of Bill and Nancy Bowden and Anthony and Raquel Smith. Andrew Snitker (6-4, 245, DL/OLB, First-team all-state (Class 3A) selection by Iowa Newspaper Association ... earned all-district honors as a senior ... helped his team to a state playoff berth in 2006 ... two-year letterwinner in football and track ... also lettered in basketball ... born May 13, 1988 ... has two brothers (Benjamin and Seth) and one sister (Stephanie) ... son of Todd and Rhonda Snitker. Evan Tecklenberg (6-8, 330, OL, Third-team all-state (Class 4A) selection by the Iowa Newspaper Association ... first-team all-conference selection on offense and second-team all-conference selection on defense ... second-team all-metro pick by the Quad City Times ... two-year team captain ... state track qualifier in the shot put ... born June 10, 1989 ... son of Jeff and Marilyn Tecklenburg. Jay Teply (6-7, 325, OL, Earned third-team Class 4A all-state honors from the Iowa Newspaper Association ... a first-team all-conference and all-metro selection ... helped lead the Saints to the 4A state championship and an undefeated season in 2006 ... all-conference basketball player ... KCRG Athlete of the Week ... born April 11, 1988 ... son of Mike and Sue Teply. Caleb Walter (6-4, 200, QB, West Branch, Iowa/West Branch HS) Earned first-team all-state honors from the Iowa Newspaper Association and Des Moines Register as a junior and senior ... INA Class 1A Player of the Year ... two-time district Player of the Year selection ... passed for 4,045 yards and 39 touchdowns in his career for the Bears ... tallied a 59 percent completion rate (257-of-442) ... rushed 280 times for 1,181 yards and 35 touchdowns in his prep career ... posted a 27-4 record as a prep quarterback ... two-time all-state selection ... first-team all-state (Class 1A) selection ... three-time all-district selection ... second-team all-district punter in 2006 as he averaged 38.3 yards per punt ... selected to play in the 2007 Shrine Bowl ... first-team all-conference and all-district basketball player ... high school coach: Butch Pedersen ... born Sept. 27, 1988 ... son of Brian and Angie Walter. 2007 UNI SIGNEES LIST Ben Alford, 6-3, 205, S, Kaleb Admire (6-3, 275, DL, LaQuentin Black (5-8, 165, ATH, Andrew BlackLance (6-6, 312, OL, Ben Boothby (6-0, 270, DL, Tredarrius Canady (5-11, 185, RB/DB, Josh Collins (5-9, 180, ATH, Zach Davis (6-2, 190, QB, Will Eilert (6-4, 235, TE, Shawn Gerard (6-4, 215, ILB, De'Veon Harris (6-1, 215, OLB, Mitch Houk (6-7, 255, OL, Montari Leonard (5-9, 160, WR, Darrell Lloyd (6-0, 191, CB, O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt North HS/Iowa Central CC) Kendall McKellum (6-1, 187, WR, Curtis Meier (5-11, 187, S, Robins, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Kennedy HS/Iowa Central CC) Michael Penn (6-3, 215, WR, Adam Roberts (5-11, 181, CB, Jeremy Robertson (6-4, 255, DE, John Shaw (5-7, 200, RB/FB, Jordan Smith (6-2, 210, OLB, Andrew Snitker (6-4, 245, DL/OLB, Evan Tecklenberg (6-8, 330, OL, Jay Teply (6-7, 325, OL, Caleb Walter (6-4, 200, QB, West Branch, Iowa/West Branch HS)
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