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March 27, 2008

Bronx, N.Y. - Just four months after leaving the field following their NCAA Division I Football Championship game at Massachusetts, the Fordham Rams returned to Murphy Field to begin their 2008 spring practice schedule on Thursday as the Rams prepare to defend their 2007 Patriot League title.

Head coach Tom Masella sent the squad through a spirited workout, the first of 15 allowable practices per NCAA regulations. The Rams will close out the spring practices with their annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 26th at 11:00 a.m.

Unlike previous years, the Rams don't have many holes to fill this spring as they return ten starters on offense and eight more on defense from a team that won the Patriot League championship with a 5-1 conference mark and finished 8-4 overall.

The offensive starters will be led by junior quarterback John Skelton, a Second Team All-Patriot League selection last year, and sophomore running back Xavier Martin, the 2007 Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Last fall, Skelton led a rejuvenated Fordham offense, completing 216 of 383 passes for 2,650 yards and 22 touchdowns. His 22 touchdown passes tied for the third most in Fordham history while his 216 completions is fourth best and his 2,650 passing yards is the fifth best single season total in school history.

Martin enjoyed a successful freshman season, rushing for 635 yards on 127 carries with a team-high eight touchdowns. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry and 63.5 yards per game, third best in the League, and also chipped in as the team's leading kick returner with a 21.6 average on 22 returns.

On the defensive side, Masella has five of the six linemen who appeared in the final two-deep back as well as three of the four starters back in the defensive backfield. Leading the defensive line will be senior Greg DeMarco, who finished with 40 stops, 11 solo, including six for a loss last year, while senior safety Matt Loucks returns to lead the defensive backfield after notching a team-high 84 total tackles in 2007, 48 solo. He also picked off a pair of passes and broke up three others.

The one spot that the Rams do have holes on defense is at linebacker as Fordham graduated two starters in First Team All-Patriot League and Honorable Mention All-America selection, Earl Hudnell, along with Dominique Owens, a Second Team All-League player in 2007. However, the Rams return junior James Crockett, who received Second Team All-Patriot League honors, at linebacker along with sophomores Isa Abdul-Quddus, Nicholas Magiera and Andre Delaire, who all saw plenty of playing time as freshmen. Crockett closed out the 2007 season with 70 total tackles, third best on the team, including 43 solo. He also had 6.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks while intercepting three passes and breaking up five others.

The Rams open the 2008 season on Saturday, September 6th when they host the University of Rhode Island on Jack Coffey Field.