Aug. 21, 2009

Bronx, N.Y. - The dog days of summer are in full force in the Bronx but no one needs to tell that to the 2009 Fordham University football squad. The Rams are wrapping up week two of camp and will have their second intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. on Murphy Field.

As a result of the hot weather and the scrimmage scheduled for Saturday, head coach Tom Masella decided to give the team Friday night off, a night that was originally scheduled for a practice session. Instead, the Rams will experience some team bonding as they will get to go to the movies.

One of the themes of camp has been change, which is evident on the defensive side of the ball. The changes started when head coach Tom Masella promoted Patrick Moore, who served as the linebacker coach the past two years, to defensive coordinator last spring.

On the field, the biggest change came in the form of the switch of senior James Crockett from linebacker to safety and the shift of junior Jordan Bledsoe from the offensive line to the defensive line.

Crockett, who will serve as a captain in 2009, earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors for the past two seasons at linebacker. He was second on the 2008 team with 67 total tackles, 39 solo, including 7.5 for loss and two sacks. He also intercepted a pass and broke up five others and led the Patriot League with three forced fumbles, while ranking 17th in total tackles.

"We wanted to put another player who can make plays in the secondary," said Masella. "James is a heck of a football player but more than that we need his leadership at the position."

Bledsoe, who spent the past two years on the offensive line, appeared in all eleven games as a sophomore, starting seven at left guard and was a cog on an offensive line that helped Xavier Martin become the sixth Ram to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season while also protecting Skelton, who set the Fordham career record for passing yards.

Even though Crockett moved to the backfield, the linebacking corps has plenty of returning experience, led by junior Andre Delaire, who led the Rams in tackles last fall. He registered 71 total tackles, 41 solo, including five for loss and 2.5 sacks. Delaire also broke up a pair of passes.

Joining Delaire at linebacker will be returning starters Nick Magiera and Ryan Darcey. Last fall, Magiera, a junior, made 51 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks, and registered four pass breakups while Darcey, a senior, recorded 36 tackles, including five for loss and one sack, while also intercepting a pass. Magiera and Darcey also both returned a fumble for a score against Bucknell.

Sophomore Isaiah Leake is among a number of other returning experienced linebackers along with senior David Mendez, juniors Michael Hickman, Clifton Stuckey, Will Quan and Jay Jackson and sophomores Nick Womack, Jock Payten and Chris Coratti.

Tutoring Bledsoe on the defensive line is senior captain Darzell Wright, who notched seven tackles for loss and two sacks last fall. He will be joined by sophomore Andy Okonkwo, who appeared in ten games as a rookie last fall, along with senior Frank Rizzo and sophomores Patrick McGee and Thomas Lloyd. Lloyd and McGee enjoyed a successful spring season with Lloyd leading all tacklers in the Spring Game with five, including three sacks, while McGee added three solo stops.

Lining up with Crockett in the defensive backfield will be three starters from 2008: seniors cornerbacks Isa Abdul El-Quddus and Kelvin Colbert along with junior safety Bryson Wilson. Colbert notched 39 tackles last year while picking off two passes and Wilson added 38 stops with an interception. Abdul El-Quddus chipped in with 23 tackles.

Also back in the defensive backfield are seniors Isiejah Allen and Michael Shackelford and juniors Ahmed and Jamal Haruna. Last year, Allen led the Rams with six pass deflections and made 32 tackles while Jamal Haruna recorded 29 tackles.

Also fighting for time in the defensive backfield are senior Brandon Brown, junior Dozie Onyeabor and sophomores Kevin Carter and Ben Daley.