(February 9, 2007) ?? Fordham University Head Football Coach, Tom Masella announced the signing of 25 football players to letters of intent with Fordham for the 2007 season. Masella, who enters his second season at Fordham after leading Central Connecticut State University to back-to-back Northeast Conference championships in 2004 and 2005, attempts to improve on last year??s 3-8 record, a season in which 17 true freshman saw significant playing time, including 12 who were listed on the two-deep. The new class features 13 defensive players and 12 offensive players. By position linebackers lead the way with seven, followed by running backs (4), defensive backs (4), wide receivers (3), offensive linemen (3), defensive backs (2) and quarterbacks (2), including Iona Prep??s Sean Mara, the grandson of the late Wellington Mara, FC ??37 and former owner of the New York Giants. The 25 freshmen hail from ten different states, from New York to Arizona, with six each from New York, three of those from New York City, and Texas. Other states represented by the incoming freshmen are Florida (3), New Jersey (3), Illinois (2) and Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Included in the recruiting class are two sets of brothers and another set of high school teammates. The new recruiting class will join 16 starters who return for the 2007 season, nine of those from the offense and seven on defense. Last fall, three Rams were named All-Patriot League led by junior All-American punter Benjamin Dato, who led the Patriot League and was third in the NCAA I-AA with a 44.6 punting average in 2006. Senior linebacker Marcus Taylor also received All-American and First Team All-Patriot League accolades in 2006 as he led the Rams in total tackles while senior defensive lineman Jay Edwards was named Second Team All-League. The Rams are tentatively scheduled to open their 108th season of varsity football on Saturday, September 1st when they travel to Kingston, Rhode Island to face the University of Rhode Island. Fordham is entering its 18th season as a member of the NCAA Division I-AA Patriot League. Here is a complete list of the newcomers: Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., Hometown/High School Isa Abdul-Quddus, ILB, 6-0, 190, Union, NJ/Union Brandon Anderson, WR, 6-1, 175, The Colony, TX/Jesuit Prep Jon Arnold, WR, 6-0, 185, West Orange, NJ/West Orange Jordan Bledsoe, OL, 6-3, 260, LaGrangeville, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes Clay Busch, QB, 5-11, 180, Mesa, AZ/Desert Ridge Kevin Conochan, OL, 6-4, 230, Concord, OH/Benedictine Andre Delaire, ILB, 6-0, 200, Bloomfield, CT/Bloomfield Jeff Fuller, ILB, 6-0, 218, Sunrise, FL/Saint Thomas Aquinas Ahmed Haruna, CB, 5-11, 160, Grand Prairie, TX/South Grand Prairie Jamal Haruna, CB, 5-11, 160, Grand Prairie, TX/South Grand Prairie Michael Hickman, OLB, 6-4, 210, Pittsburgh, PA/Schenley Jay Jackson, OLB, 6-0, 185, Gainesville, GA/East Hall Wendell Joly, OL, 6-3, 265, Brooklyn, NY/Fort Hamilton Kevin Ketelsen, DL, 6-3, 233, Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Catholic Nick Magiera, ILB, 5-11, 198, Barrington, IL/Barrington Sean Mara, QB, 6-2, 195, Port Chester, NY/Iona Prep Xavier Martin, RB, 5-10, 165, Staten Island, NY/Xaverian Nnadozic Onyeabor, S, 5-7, 160, Keller, TX/Keller Nnamdi Onyeabor, RB, 5-8, 190, Keller, TX/Keller Sam Pitts, OLB, 6-0, 215, Tallahassee, FL/Trinity Pawling Darryl Robinson, RB, 6-0, 190, Pembroke Pines, FL/Saint Thomas Aquinas Clifton Stuckey, OLB, 6-0, 190, Broadview, IL/Proviso Chris Thomas, WR, 6-2, 190, Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili Adnan Vandyck, DL, 6-4, 243, Brooklyn, NY/Fort Hamilton Bryson Wilson, S, 6-0, 195, Dallas, TX/South Grand Prairie