Feb. 6, 2002

Recruit Highlights On Video

Read the transcript of Coach Steele's post-signing day chat.

Press conference comments from head coach Kevin Steele:

"A couple of things became apparent in the recruiting process -- three, actually. First, our assistant coaches did a great job. They were relentless and had a very good plan. Second, the single biggest ingredient was our players... They did a great job in the recruiting process of making the recruits we brought in feel that this was a special place to be and a special time to be here... Third, the high school coaches and other coaches in the recruiting process were very receptive to Baylor, helping in every way they could."

"We have 25 names at the present, with two more forthcoming. Of the total of 27 that we expect, you have 14 on offense, 12 on defense, and one kicker. That's pretty balanced. 17 high school, eight junior college players."

On signing several local products:
"You always want to keep guys at home. It sends a message to future recruits down the line. Who knows you better than the guys at home? If they come, they must like what they see."

"When you go back to the year before last, we signed John Garrett, the biggest catch in McLennan County. We also had Bobby Hart and Danielle McLean that year. Last year we got Ryan Jeffrey, but saw a couple go elsewhere. This year, we got a clean sweep. So over the last three years, we've had very good numbers in keeping McLennan County players at home."

On the speed added to the team:
"There are a lot of guys who run track -- not only high school players, either. Hampton and Copeland also ran track in junior college. We probably have more documented track speed than in the past... Anytime you get speed, it can help you. That's a plus of Baylor, we have a tremendous track program, and we allow our guys to be dual sport athletes. I think that helps recruiting."

WILLIE ANDREWS
DB/ATH ? 5-11 ? 180 ? Longview, TX (Longview)
Steele's comments: "One of the top players in the country at his position. A fabulous running back, wide receiver and kick returner in high school. We feel he will add the most to our team at cornerback."
All-purpose player was a first-team member of the Texas Football preseason Super Team as a defensive back ... First-team all-district 12-5A running back led district in rushing with 1,291 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior ... Senior numbers also include 13 catches for 233 yards and one TD and two interceptions, giving him eight for his career ... As a junior caught 40 passes for 775 yards and four touchdowns, rushed 27 times for 232 yards (8.6 ypc), returned 11 punts for 112 yards and returned 11 kickoffs for 292 yards (26.5 ypr) ... Earned honorable mention 5A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association ... Rated as 58th-best prospect in Texas and one of the top 42 cornerbacks in the nation according to Max Emfinger ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas by the Dallas Morning News (43rd), Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Houston Chronicle and Waco Tribune-Herald (top 30) ... Also rated as the state's 43rd-best recruit by the Austin American-Statesman ... Named the 42nd-best cornerback in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Rated among the top 24 players in the state by Texas Football ... Also named among the 20 best defensive backs in the state by Texas Football magazine and a member of the Texas Top 300 ... Coached by Pat Collins at the district 12-5A school.

ANTHONY ARLINE
DB ? 6-3 ? 180 ? San Antonio, TX (Madison)
Steele's comments: "A perfect fit for our team. A speed guy, very athletic, and a classy young man."
The 2000 San Antonio Express-News Greater San Antonio Defensive Player of the Year ... Had 42 tackles, four interceptions, five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries as a senior ... A two-way athlete, he also caught 17 passes for 506 yards and four touchdowns ... Returned four kicks for touchdowns (three kickoffs and one punt) ... Named first-team all-district 26-5A at both defensive back and wide receiver ... Made 30 tackles as a junior ... Earned honorable mention 5A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association ... Rated as 43rd-best prospect in Texas and one of the top 18 free safeties in the nation according to Max Emfinger ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas by the Dallas Morning News (86th), Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News (50th) and Waco Tribune-Herald (top 50) ... Named the 30th-best safety in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Also named among the 47 best defensive backs in the state by Texas Football magazine and a member of the Texas Top 300 ... In addition to lettering three seasons in football, also earned four letters in track ... Coached by Jim Streety at the district 26-5A school.

RASHAD ARMSTRONG
RB ? 5-9 ? 205 ? Miami, FL (Mesa CC)
Steele's comments: "A compact guy at 5-9, 205... Extremely strong. One thing we kept coming back to on Rashad: you can't tackle him."
The 2001 National Junior College Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year ... First-team NJCAA All-American gained 1,373 yards on 221 attempts in 10 games as a sophomore ... Earned first-team all-conference honors as well ... Gained 260 yards in receiving and scored 16 total touchdowns ... Despite being limited to just five games as a freshman due to injuries, still rushed for 405 yards ... Rated the 43rd-best junior college prospect in the nation by The Insiders.com ... Coached by David Rice at Mesa ... An all-state selection and first-team All-Dade County pick at Hileah-Lakes High School in Miami, Fla. ... Coached by Jerry Hughes at Hileah-Lakes HS ... Also lettered in baseball and track as a prepster.

SHAWN BELL
QB ? 6-1 ? 185 ? China Spring, TX (China Spring)
Steele's comments: "We started out wanting one quarterback, and we got him. Shawn Bell was the first letter we got in this morning."
Finished stellar prep career as third all-time in Texas high school history with 8,437 career passing yards and 525 career completions ... Named Super Centex Offensive Most Valuable Player and district 17-3A MVP as a senior ... Posted a nearly 70 percent completion percentage as a senior, completing 224-of-324 passes for 3,308 yards, 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions ... Also rushed for 236 yards and scored four touchdowns on the ground ... Completed 138-of-273 passes for 2,303 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions as a junior ... Named to the academic all-state 3A first team ... Rated as one of the top 40 dropback passers in the nation according to Max Emfinger ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas (92nd) by the Dallas Morning News ... Rated among the 10 best quarterbacks in the state by Texas Football magazine and a member of the Texas Top 300 ... Earned second-team 3A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association ... Named the 37th-best pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Coached by his father Mark Bell at the district 17-3A school ... Also lettered in track, basketball and baseball.

LARRY BYNUM
DB ? 5-10 ? 180 ? Miami, FL (College of the Canyons [CA] CC)
Steele's comments: "A junior college player who is already on campus and will be competing in the spring."
Enrolled at Baylor in January and is eligible to participate in spring drills ... Helped lead College of the Canyons to a school record 10-1 record and No. 11 final national ranking in 2001 ... Had one interception for eight yards as a sophomore ... Coached by Chuck Lyon at College of the Canyons ... Attended Southridge High School in Miami, Fla. ... Intercepted eight passes during high school career ... Coached by Mark Guandolo in high school ... Also lettered in track.

VINCE COPELAND
WR ? 6-3 ? 180 ? Valdosta, GA (Reedley [CA] JC)
Steele's comments: "The thing that jumped out about him was that he is extremely competitive."
Team MVP for Reedley (Calif.) College ... Named first-team All-Valley Conference as both a wide receiver and a punter ... Caught 69 passes for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games as a sophomore ... Averaged 39.1 yards per punt ... Gained 338 yards on kick returns ... Named most valuable player at the 2001 Elks Bowl, won by Reedley, 44-38 ... As a freshman caught 30 passes for 400 yards and added four sacks as a safety on defense ... Rated the 98th-best junior college prospect in the nation by The Insiders.com ... Coached by Michael White at Reedley College ... Graduated from Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., in 2000 ... Played football and participated in track at LHS ... Helped lead LHS to the 1999 class AAAA state championship ... Coached by Milt Miller as a prepster.

QUINCY COSBY
ATH ? 5-9 ? 180 ? Mart, TX (Mart)
Steele's comments: "A young man who knows how to win. Very physical, and can run very well."
Dual-position athlete was named first-team Super Centex as a defensive back after intercepting five passes and recording 86 tackles as a senior ... Also rushed for 1,523 yards and 21 touchdowns ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas by the Waco Tribune-Herald ... Earned second-team 2A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association as a senior ... A three-time all-state pick ... Also lettered in basketball, baseball and track ... Cousin of current Baylor linebacker John Garrett ... Brother Quan is a member of the Anaheim Angels organization ... Coached by Tommy Roberson at the district 21-2A school.

DOMINICK CRAVENS
DL ? 6-3 ? 235 ? Tyler, TX (Tyler [TX] JC)
Steele's comments: "A good run-stopper, and he has shown the ability to rush the passer."
Enrolled at Baylor in January and is eligible to participate in spring drills ... An honorable mention all-conference selection with 54 tackles and 12 sacks as a sophomore ... As a freshman in 2000, split time with current Baylor standout A.C. Collier ... Coached by Dale Carr at Tyler JC ... Played high school football at John Tyler High for Allen Wilson ... First-team all-district senior recorded 72 tackles and nine sacks ... His uncle, Shawn Cravens, played linebacker at Baylor and lettered in 1991 and 1992.

TRAVIS FARST
OL ? 6-7 ? 303 ? Cedar Park, TX (Cedar Park)
Steele's comments: "Very good potential and is going to get even bigger."
Three-year starter at Cedar Park High School ... Injured led midway through senior season ... Also lettered in track ... Won district title in both the shot put and the discus ... Coached by Mark Weaver at the district 17-4A school.

COREY FORD
DL ? 6-3 ? 247 ? Dallas, TX (Skyline)
Steele's comments: A big guy at 250 pounds who is only going to get bigger. He could end up playing at 270, 280 pounds."
Earned second-team all-district 11-5A as a senior ... Collected a combined 120 tackles, seven sacks and 20 tackles for loss over final two seasons ... Rated as one of the top 30 defensive tackles in the nation according to Max Emfinger ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas by the Dallas Morning News (73rd), Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Houston Chronicle and Waco Tribune-Herald ... Rated the 58th-best strongside defensive end in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Coached by Phillip Roybal at the district 11-5A school.

JEFF GARNER
TE ? 6-3 ? 245 ? Houston, TX (Austin)
Played quarterback in high school ... Senior rushed for 509 yards and six touchdowns on 83 carries ... Completed 29-of-96 passes for 492 yards and three touchdowns ... As a junior, rushed for 663 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 66 carries while passing for 322 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions (17-of-53) ... Earned second-team all-district honors as a sophomore tight end ... Brother Jason played football for Henderson State University ... Coached by Cory Jiles at the district 18-5A school.

TYSON HAMPTON
DB ? 6-1 ? 185 ? Sacramento, CA (Univ. of Hawaii/American River JC)
Steele's comments: "A very, very impressive young guy. Very physical, very intelligent."
Has three years of eligibility remaining ... Earned all-conference honors in 2001 as a freshman at American River ... Intercepted five passes and returned kicks in 2001 ... Coached by Don Dillon at American River ... Signed with Hawaii out of high school but stayed only one semester ... Caught 40 passes for 913 yards and 11 touchdowns as a high school senior at Florin High School.

LEWIS HYMAN
WR/ATH ? 5-8 ? 180 ? Hearne, TX (Hearne)
Steele's comments: "He's listed as a wide receiver, but he has played running back and defensive back, and is also an excellent kickoff and punt return man."
Rushed for 713 yards on 110 carries as a senior ... Named second-team all-district ... Earned first-team All-Brazos Valley honors as a kick returner ... Won the Class 3A 100-meter dash at the state meet as a sophomore and finished second as a junior with a time of 10.5 ... Coached by Greg Johnson at the district 18-3A school ... Also lettered in basketball.

LaQUALAN McDONALD
OL ? 6-5 ? 330 ? Waco, TX (Waco)
Steele's comments: "LaQualan afforded us the opportunity not to take a junior college player. We regard him as a player strong enough and mature enough to contribute right now... He has all the properties to say he can play early."
A three-year starter for the Lions, who made three-straight playoff appreances ... Started final 39 games as a prepster ... A unanimous all-district pick and an Associated Press first-team all-state selection following his senior season when he recorded 151 pancake blocks for an offense that averaged 29 points and 355 yards per game ... Earned second-team 5A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association ... A second-team member of the Texas Football preseason Super Team ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas by the Dallas Morning News (50th), Houston Chronicle and Waco Tribune-Herald (top 50) ... Rated among the 20 best offensive linemen in the state by Texas Football magazine and a member of the Texas Top 300 ... Named the 32nd-best offensive tackle in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Rated as 106th-best prospect in Texas and one of the nation's top 38 offensive tackles according to Max Emfinger ... Coached by Johnny Tusa at the district 13-5A school.

PAUL MOSLEY
RB ? 6-3 ? 215 ? Austin, TX (Anderson)
Steele's comments: "A big back with speed. If any recruit came down to the wire, Paul was probably it."
Rushed for 2,338 yards and 29 touchdowns on 259 carries as a senior ... Only fumbled once all season ... Also caught 15 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns ... Earned first-team 4A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association ... As a junior gained 1,716 rushing yards and scored 19 touchdowns ... Rated as 35th-best prospect in Texas and one of the top eight power I-tailbacks in the nation according to Max Emfinger ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas by the Dallas Morning News (66th), Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Houston Chronicle and Waco Tribune-Herald (top 50) ... Also rated as the state's 39th-best recruit by the Austin American-Statesman ... Named the 24th-best player in the nation at the `athlete' position by Rivals100.com ... Rated among the 20 best running backs in the state by Texas Football magazine and a member of the Texas Top 300 ... Also lettered in basketball and track ... Coached by Trent Gregory at the district 25-4A school.

JEREMY PARKER
P/PK ? 5-8 ? 170 ? Mesquite, TX (Mesquite)
Steele's comments: "Played for the 5A state champs. Can kick very well -- a lot of height, a lot of distance. Also a long field goal kicker, he had several field goals of 50-plus yards and won several games in the final minutes with field goals."
Accounted for 81 points kicking as a senior, making 15 fields goals (21 attempts) and 36 PATs ... Averaged 44 yards per punt as a senior ... Member of the Skeeters 2001 5A state championship team that finished 15-0 ... Named first-team all-district 10-5A as both a kicker and a punter ... Earned first-team 5A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association as a punter and second-team recognition as a placekicker ... Also lettered in soccer ... Member of the National Honor Society ... Coached by Steve Halpin at the district 10-5A school.

JACOB PITMAN
OL ? 6-7 ? 315 ? Mesquite, TX (North Mesquite)
Steele's comments: "A big tough guy. We feel that with time and development he can be the kind of athlete we're looking for because he has tremendous feet."
Earned second-team all-district 10-5A honors as a senior ... Rated among the 47 best offensive linemen in the state by Texas Football magazine and a member of the Texas Top 300 ... Listed as the 57th best area recruit by the Dallas Morning News ... Named the 73rd-best offensive tackle in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Also lettered two years in track ... Coached by Steve Bragg at the district 10-5A school.

AKEEM RETTIG
OL ? 6-7 ? 330 ? Carlisle, TX (Carlisle Price)
Steele's comments: "We found him in the summer. When other coaches heard he was committed to Baylor, they tried to find Carlisle but couldn't."
Named first-team all-district at both offensive and defensive tackle ... Led team in both sacks and pancake blocks ... Rated as one of the top 38 offensive tackles in the nation according to Max Emfinger ... Rated as the state's 48th-best recruit by the Austin American-Statesman ... Named the 63rd-best offensive tackle in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Rated as one of the top 38 offensive tackles in the nation according to Max Emfinger ... Also lettered in basketball, track and powerlifting ... Coached by Randy Wellman at the district 19-1A school.

AHMAD RHODES
DB ? 5-10 ? 165 ? Crockett, TX (Navarro JC)
Steele's comments: "He's already on campus working with the guys and will participate in spring drills."
Enrolled at Baylor in January and is eligible to participate in spring drills ... Earned honorable mention all-conference honors in 2001 ... Intercepted five passes as a freshman and two more as a sophomore ... A two-year starter for the Bulldogs ... Coached by Chuck Lawrence at Navarro JC ... Attended Crockett High School in Crockett, Texas, where he was coached by John Lowrey ... A three-time all-district performer ... Also lettered in basketball, track and baseball ... His brother, Kendall Rhodes, is a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.

TRENT SHELTON
WR ? 6-2 ? 175 ? Fort Worth, TX (North Crowley)
Steele's comments: "A very athletic speed guy who catches the ball well."
Led his district in receptions as a senior with 48 catches for 798 yards and six touchdowns ... Also had a kickoff return for a touchdown ... Two-time all-district selection ... As a junior caught 38 passes for 572 yards ... Also lettered in track and basketball ... Named honorable mention all-district in basketball as a junior ... His uncle, George Stewart, played football at Arkansas and is currently the wide receivers coach for the San Francisco 49ers ... Coached by Mike Papas at the district 8-4A school.

D.D. TERRY
DB ? 6-1 ? 191 ? Willis, TX (Willis)
Steele's comments: "An amazing athlete. His athleticism -- his speed, change of direction, burst -- is absolutely uncanny. The complete package."
Two-time all-district linebacker ... Also named first-team all-district at fullback ... Led the Wildkats, and finished second in the district, in rushing as a senior with 1,178 yards and 17 touchdowns on 164 carries (7.2 ypc) ... Caught one pass, a 32-yard touchdown reception ... Led district in sacks as a junior ... Rated as one of the top 18 free safeties in the nation according to Max Emfinger ... Named the 80th-best outside linebacker in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Also lettered three years in track ... Coached by Stan Labay at the district 21-4A school.

J.T. THOMPSON
WR ? 5-10 ? 190 ? Kilgore, TX (Univ. of Kansas/Kilgore JC)
Steele's comments: "We recruited him out of high school. A speed guy who can catch the ball and hit a home run anywhere on the field."
Caught 48 passes for 543 yards and five touchdowns as an all-conference sophomore ... Coached by Jim Reeves at Kilgore JC ... Played his freshman year at Kansas ... Caught 8 passes for 130 yards while playing in seven games for the Jayhawks ... Averaged 16.2 yards a catch ... Grabbed three passes for 70 yards against Nebraska ... Had a season-long 38-yard catch against Iowa State ... As a senior at Kilgore High, had 52 receptions for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns ... Named first-team all-state and all-district ... Averaged 10.2 yards and scored a touchdown on punt returns ... Accounted for 2,008 yards during his two-year prep career ... Named one of the top 100 recruits in Texas by the Dallas Morning News ... Also lettered in track ... Coached by Mike Vallery at Kilgore High.

JAMES TODD
DB ? 6-1 ? 175 ? Marshall, TX (Marshall)
Steele's comments: "A physical player. You always look for guys on defense who can be physical."
First-team all-district as a senior ... Named first-team honorable mention 5A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association ... During senior season had 23 solo tackles, 13 assists, two interceptions, four pass deflections and one fumble recovery ... Finished career with nine interceptions, 147 tackles, three blocked punts and four fumble recoveries ... Also lettered in track and basketball ... Coached by Bill Harper at the district 12-5A school.

NATHAN URANGA
LB ? 6-1 ? 190 ? Burleson, TX (Burleson)
Steele's comments: "He can run. He plays with a high motor. Very enthusiastic."
Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Area Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 ... Two-time district defensive MVP and team MVP ... As a senior collected 161 tackles, three interceptions, 15 tackles for loss, two blocked kicks, three sacks and two fumble recoveries ... Registered 135 tackles, two interceptions, 4.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and three recovered fumbles as a junior ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas by the Waco Tribune-Herald ... Rated among the 20 best linebackers in the state by Texas Football magazine and a member of the Texas Top 300 ... Named the 73rd-best outside linebacker in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Coached by John Crawford at the district 8-4A school.

JAMES WASHINGTON
LB ? 6-2 ? 205 ? El Paso, TX (Ventura [CA] CC)
Steele's comments: "We saw on the tapes a 6-2, 200-pound safety who was the fastest guy on the field. We recruited him telling him he could be a linebacker in the Big 12, and it worked."
Made 105 tackles, including 53 solos, as a starting strong safety in 2001 ... Also had eight pass breakups, one interception, one fumble recovery, one caused fumble and one quarterback pressure ... Coached by Terry Morris at Ventura ... Originally from El Paso Parkland High School ... High school coach was Louis James.

IRIS WILLIAMS
WR ? 6-5 ? 233 ? Houston, TX (Cypress Falls)
Steele's comments: "A big wide receiver/slot tight end type of guy, will primarily be a tight end for us. Has gotten bigger this year and is very fast."
Two-time District 16-5A selection ... Grabbed 17 receptions for 261 yards and two touchdowns ... Rated as one of the top 42 flankers in the nation according to Max Emfinger ... Named the 113th-best wide receiver in the nation by Rivals100.com ... Also lettered in track and basketball ... Cousin Fred Miller played at Baylor and is currently an offensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans ... Uncle Elvin Patterson won a pair of Super Bowl rings with the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys ... Coached by Wayne Hooks at the district 16-5A school.