RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University head football coach Dean Hood announced today that 17 student-athletes, including six from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Colonels next fall. In addition, three other student-athletes joined the EKU program this past January. The class includes seven offensive linemen, four wide receivers, three defensive backs, two linebackers, one kicker, one tight end, one defensive lineman and one running back.

“I’m very excited about the incoming class,” Hood said. “I thought the coaching staff did an outstanding job of holding everything together during the transition. We focused on our major needs such as filling up numbers on the offensive line.”

Three offensive linemen – Patrick Ford, Paul Henry, Jr., and Jordan Johnson – all hail from Kentucky. Ford was a team captain and an honorable mention all-state player from Madison Central in Richmond. Henry, a native of Elizabethtown, was a three-time all-district pick out of Central Hardin. Finally, Johnson was an honorable mention all-state lineman for Pikeville.

The other incoming players from Kentucky are linebacker Shumari Bridgewater (Campbellsville), wide receiver Gerry Cooper (Louisville) and kicker Jason Nicholson (Lexington).

Incoming freshman Justin Bell is the cousin of former Colonel and current Miami Dolphin, Yeremiah Bell. The native of Tampa, Fla., was the District 5A Player of the Year and team MVP for Chamberlin High School.

Andre Barbour, Shannon Davis and Andre Evans enrolled at Eastern Kentucky for the 2008 spring semester. Barbour, a transfer from North Carolina, spent time as an offensive tackle and tight end for the Tar Heels. Davis played in one game as a wide receiver for Tulane this past fall. Evans earned six starts in the defensive backfield for Buffalo during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Eastern Kentucky finished the 2007 season 9-3 overall and 8-0 in the OVC to earn the program’s 19th conference title. The Colonels advanced to the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs for a record 18th time and posted a winning record for the 30th consecutive year.

Student-Athlete Profiles
Aaron Adams
OL, 6-5, 255
Lake Worth, Fla., Fork Union Military Academy
--Played right tackle at Fork Union for coach John Shuman
--Was an all-conference and all-district selection out of Palm Beach High

Andre Barbour
OL, 6-6, 285
Atlanta, Ga., North Springs High School
--Played just three years of high school football
--Two-year starter at offensive tackle
--Played in seven games as a freshman at North Carolina in 2006

Justin Bell
DB, 5-9, 170
Tampa, Fla., Chamberlin High School
--First team all-state, all-county and All-Sun Coast Conference
--5A District Player of the Year
--Team MVP
--Tallied four interceptions and nine blocked punts
--Cousin of former Colonel and current Miami Dolphin Yeremiah Bell

Shumari Bridgewater
LB, 5-10, 200
Campbellsville, Ky., Campbellsville High School
--2007 Class A District 6 Co-Player of the Year
--First team all-district
--Honorable mention all-state
--1,385 yards rushing, 106 total tackles, one interception

Warren Brown
FS, 5-10, 180
Miami, Fla., Columbus High School
--2007 All-Dade selection
--Selected to Dade-Broward all-star game
--55 tackles, three interceptions, 11 pass break-ups, five fumble recoveries

Gerry Cooper
WR, 5-10, 165
Louisville, Ky., duPont Manual High School
--Two-time all-district and all-county pick
--2007 honorable mention all-state
--Finished with 39 receptions for 1,089 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior

Shannon Davis
WR, 5-11, 160
Atlanta, Ga., Benjamin Mays High School
--First team all-city as a senior
--Intercepted 21 passes during his prep career
--Also ran track and played baseball
--Played in one game for Tulane this past fall

Chris Cunningham
DE, 6-2, 245
Miami, Fla., Dade Christian High School
--2007 first team all-county
--2006 and 2007 first team all-state by the Florida Sports Writers
--Preseason top-10 player to watch

O.J. Enabosi
OL, 6-3, 285
Villa Rica, Ga., Douglas County High School
--Three-year starter on offensive line
--Two-time all-county selection
--Team captain
--Average blocking grade as a senior was 89 percent

Andre Evans
DB, 5-10, 171
Cleveland, Ohio, Glenville High School
--Third team all-state as a senior
--Helped prep team win 2004 regional championship
--Tallied 70 tackles, two interceptions and 13 pass deflections as a senior
--Played in 16 games with six starts at Buffalo spanning two years

Patrick Ford
OL, 6-6, 245
Richmond, Ky., Madison Central High School
--Team captain
--Honorable mention all-state
--Academic all-state

Orlandus Harris
WR, 5-11, 185
Chattanooga, Tenn., Brainerd High School
--Three-year starter
--First team all-region and all-state
--Played in Tennessee-Georgia all-star game
--Returned two punts and a kick-off for a touchdown
--Also ran track

Paul Henry, Jr.
OL, 6-5, 255
Elizabethtown, Ky., Central Hardin High School
--Three-time all-district pick
--2007 defensive and offensive lineman of the year
--2007 honorable mention all-state

Jordan Johnson
OL, 6-5, 275
Pikeville, Ky., Pikeville High School
--First team all-district
--Honorable mention all-state

Christian Molina
OL, 6-5, 255
Clearwater, Fla., Country Side High School
--First team all-district
--Honorable mention all-state (5A)

Gary Myers
WR, 6-3, 180
Orlando, Fla., Dr. Phillips High School
--Participated in East-West all-star game

Jason Nicholson
K/P, 6-6, 200
Lexington, Ky., Paul L. Dunbar High School
--First team all-state
--Missed one extra point entire prep career
--Hit a long field goal of 46 yards
--Averaged 41.3 yards per punt with a long of 57 yards

Jonathan Sharp
TE, 6-4, 200
Clinton, Tenn., Anderson County High School
--All-state and all-region selection
--Caught 28 passes for 353 yards and six touchdowns
--Played in the Tennessee East-West all-star game

Carl Robinson
RB, 5-11, 220
Douglasville, Ga., Douglas County High School
--Three-year starter at running back
--All-region pick
--Totaled over 2,000 yards of total offense in three years
--Finished with 515 yards rushing and 471 yards receiving as a senior
--Led team in receiving for three straight years

Kenneth Trimble
LB, 5-11, 190
Cincinnati, Ohio, Taft High School
--Four-year starter
--Four-time all-league linebacker