Football Adds Pair of JC Transfers
12/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 15, 2010
WACO, Texas - Baylor has received signed National Letters of Intent from a pair of junior college football players, head coach Art Briles announced Wednesday.
Nick Johnson (OL; Navarro) and David Whitmore (DB; Iowa Western) signed to play for Baylor. The duo of mid-year signees is expected to join the Bears in January and participate in 2011 spring drills.
"We feel very fortunate to have Nick and David part of the Baylor football program," Briles said. "The critical thing about junior college players is that they fit needs. We've found two student-athletes that fit needs for us both athletically and by being great teammates and leaders."
Johnson, the younger brother of Baylor senior linebacker Antonio Johnson, has played various positions on the offensive line while with Navarro for the last two seasons. He enrolled at Navarro after completing his prep career at nearby Waco High School.
While playing alongside current Baylor offensive lineman Robert T. Griffin, Johnson helped Navarro to an 11-1 record and a No. 3 national ranking in 2009. This season, the 6-3, 290-pound lineman earned first-team All-SWJCFC honors after leading the Bulldogs to the NJCAA National Championship and another 11-1 record.
Whitmore, a native of Port Arthur, Texas, made his collegiate debut for Iowa Western during the 2010 season. He helped the Reivers to the Midwest Football Conference title and a No. 11 national ranking with a 9-2 record.
In addition to intercepting passes in four of his first five games, the 6-2, 190-pound defensive back made 26 tackles and had two pass breakups on the season, helping him earn second-team all-conference honors. Prior to enrolling at Iowa Western, Whitmore played at Port Arthur Memorial High School, where he was ranked among the top 50 prospects in the State of Texas by Rivals.com in 2008.
Baylor (7-5, 4-4 Big 12) returns to action Dec. 29 against Illinois (6-6, 4-4 Big Ten) in the 2010 Texas Bowl, the Bears' first bowl game since 1994. The game, which is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. CST, will be televised live nationally on ESPN. For tickets, call the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000 or visit BaylorBears.com.
BAYLOR 2011 JUNIOR COLLEGE SIGNEES
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown (previous schools) |
| Nick Johnson | OL | 6-3 | 290 | Jr. | Waco, Texas (Waco HS/Navarro College) |
| David Whitmore | DB | 6-2 | 190 | Jr. | Port Arthur, Texas (Memorial HS/Iowa Western CC) |
