Feb. 4, 2010

Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham University Head Football Coach, Tom Masella announced the signing of 14 football players to letters of intent with Fordham for the 2009 season.

Masella, who enters his fifth season on Rose Hill, led the Rams to a 5-6 overall record last fall, 2-4 in the Patriot League. In 2007, he led the Rams to their second Patriot League title, earning Patriot League Coach of the Year honors as well as being named the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) 2007 Region 1 Co-Coach of the Year.

The 2010 class is the first recruiting class for the Rams that will receive athletic scholarships, marking the first time that Fordham will award football scholarships since 1954.

The new class features seven defensive players and seven offensive players and includes two NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) transfers from Hofstra University. By position, linebackers lead the way with three of each, followed by defensive linemen, defensive backs, offensive linemen and quarterbacks with two each along with one wide receivers, running back and tight end.

The 14 newcomers hail from eight different states, from New York to California, and one foreign country (Germany). Three of the 2010 recruits are from Connecticut with three others coming from New York and two each from New Jersey, Florida and Texas. The other three states represented are Massachusetts, New Jersey and California, with one each.

The new recruiting class will join 14 starters who return for the 2009 season, seven each of the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Last fall, eight Rams were named All-Patriot League, led by senior wide receiver Jason Caldwell, freshman punter Patrick Murray, junior tight end Stephen Skelton and senior offensive lineman Andrew Tyshovnytsky, who were named to the first team. Receiving second team accolades were senior quarterback John Skelton, junior defensive lineman Jordan Bledsoe, senior defensive back Kelvin Colbert and junior linebacker Nick Magiera.

The Rams are scheduled to open their 111th season of varsity football on Saturday, September 4th, when they travel to Smithfield, R.I., to take on Bryant University. Fordham is entering its 21st season as a member of the NCAA FCS Patriot League.

Here is a complete list of the 2010 newcomers:

Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., Hometown/High School
George Apostolopoulos, DL, 6'2, 235, Scarsdale, N.Y./Iona Prep
Brett Biestek, LB, 6'4, 235, Wallingford, Conn./Mark. T. Sheehan
Kai Brusch, OL, 6'4, 250, Salisbury School/Hamburg, Germany
Carlton Koonce, RB, 5'8, 180, Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley (Hofstra)
Tom Fisher, TE/OL, 6'7, 265, Syracuse, N.Y./Westhills
Kassim Forbes, DB, 6'1, 185, Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis
Griffin Murphy, QB, 6-2, 215, Southborough, Mass./St. John's
Derrion Pittman, LB, 6'1, 215, Miramar, Fla./Miramar
Jake Rodriques, LB, 6'2, 245, Southington, Conn./Southington
Nick Talbert, WR, 6'3, 230, Hartford, Conn./Weaver (Hofstra)
Steven Tapia, OL, 6'5, 290, El Paso, Tex,/Montwood
Blake Wayne, QB, 6'0, 180, Concord, Calif./De LaSalle
Ian Williams, DB, 5'11, 175, West Palm Beach, Fla./The King's Academy
Justin Yancey, DL, 6'0, 295, Dallas, Tex,/Richardson Berkner

2010 Fordham University Football Recruiting Class

George Apostolopoulos (DL, 6'2, 235, Scarsdale, N.Y./Iona Prep)
- Team captain
- 40 TCKL, 9 Sacks, 1 INT
- 2009 New York Daily News Second Team All-L.I./Westchester
- 2009 All-Catholic League
- 2008 All-Catholic League
- 2008 Honorable Mention All-County
- Member of the 2008 CHSFL Championship team
- George Apostolopoulos' Maxpreps Page

Brett Biestek (LB, 6'4, 235, Wallingford, Conn./Mark. T. Sheehan)
- 2009 All-State
- 2009 All-League
- 2009 Governor's Cup Selection
- 2009 team captain
- 2008 Carini Bowl MVP
- Threw for 4,532 yards and 49 touchdowns in high school
- Also a member of the basketball team at Wallingford High School
- Brett Biestek's Maxpreps Page

Kai Brusch (OL, 6'4, 250, Salisbury School/Hamburg, Germany)
- 2008 German Junior National Team member
- Member of the 2008 European Junior Championship team
- 2009 All-League
- 2009 Leadership Award
- 2009 Honor Roll Student
- Kai Brusch's Maxpreps Page
- Link: German Native Seeing Playing Time in the U.S. Thanks to the International Student Program

Carlton Koonce (RB, 5'8, 180, Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley (Hofstra))
- 2008 All-County
- 2008 County Offensive Player of year
- 2008 Mini Maxwell Award
- 2008 Brooks Irvine Scholar
- Recorded 193 carries for 1,178 yards and 16 touchdowns, and 46 tackles and two interceptions in 2008
- Three-time team MVP
- Also a member of the track and field squad at Rancocas Valley
- Did not see action with Hofstra in 2009
- Cousin, Steve Smith, plays for the New York Giants
- Carlton Koonce's Maxpreps Page

Tom Fisher (TE/OL, 6'7, 265, Syracuse, N.Y./Westhills)
- 2009 All-Section
- 2009 All-State
- 2009 All-Central New York
- 2009 Post-Standard All-Star
- 2009 Captain
- Led Westhills to 2009 Class B Championship
- Also a member of the basketball team at Westhills
- 2009 Honorable mention All-Conference in basketball
- Tom Fisher's Maxpreps Page

Kassim Forbes (DB, 6'1, 185, Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis)
- 2009 All-League
- 2009 All-City
- 2009 Staten Island Advance All-Star
- Member of the 2009 PSAL championship team
- 60 tackles, three fumble recoveries, two sacks and a defensive touchdown in 2009
- Two-year starter
- Kassim Forbes' Maxpreps Page
- Link: Forbes picks Fordham, joining first scholarship class in more than 50 years

Griffin Murphy (QB, 6-2, 215, Southborough, Mass./St. John's)
- Team Captain
- 2009 Team MVP
- 2009 Boston Globe All-State
- 2009 Boston Herald All-State
- Led 2009 squad to a Division I-A Super Bowl championship
- 2009 & 2008 All-League
- Completed 127 of 240 passes for 2,037 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior
- Also rushed 106 times for 696 yards and eight scores
- Completed 34 of 62 passes for 532 yards and six touchdowns as a junior
- Griffin Murphy's Maxpreps Page

Derrion Pittman (LB, 6'1, 215, Miramar, Fla./Miramar)
- Member of the 2009 6-A State Championship team
- Finished with 122 total tackles, 71 solo, including nine sacks in 2009
- 2009 All-League
- 2009 FHSAA Scholar Athlete
- Also a member of the Miramar wrestling squad
- Finished second at district, fourth at county and fifth at regions in 2009
- Derrion Pittman's Maxpreps Page

Jake Rodriques (LB, 6'2, 245, Southington, Conn./Southington)
- 2009 Team Captain
- 2009 All-League
- Led 2009 squad with 53 total tackles, 27 solo, with 3.5 sacks
- 2009 State Record in the Power Clean
- Jake Rodriques' Maxpreps Page

Nick Talbert (WR, 6'3, 230, Hartford, Conn./Weaver (Hofstra))
- 2007 All-State
- 2007 All-League
- 2007 Team MVP
- Tallied 11 receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns as a senior
- Added 48 solo tackles, 8.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a senior
- 2006 All-League
- also a member of the basketball and track and field programs at Weaver
- Earned All-Conference and All-State honors in basketball and track
- Attended Loomis Chaffee Prep School in 2008
- Named to All-Founders League and All-New England teams in 2008
- Recorded 38 receptions for 502 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 251 yards on 25 carries
- Notched 61 tackles, four pass deflections and two interceptions on defense
- Also played basketball at Loomis Chaffee, averaging 18 ppg and 12 rpg for the Pelicans
- Appeared in all eleven games at Hofstra in 2009, catching one four-yard scoring pass

Steven Tapia (OL, 6'5, 290, El Paso, Tex,/Montwood)
- Team Captain
- 2009 First Team 5A-1 All-District
- 2009 Outstanding Offensive Lineman
- 2009 El Paso Times All-City
- Recorded 10 pancakes in 2009 while allowing only one sack at tackle
- 2008 El Paso Times All-City >
- Link: Montwood Standout Impresses

Blake Wayne (QB, 6'0, 180, Concord, Calif./De LaSalle(Diablo Valley CC)
- Played at Diablo Valley Community College in 2009
- Completed 209 of 354 passes for 2,527 yards and 18 touchdowns
- 2008 All-East Bay at De LaSalle
- 2008 All-State
- Completed 84 of 146 passes for 1,520 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2009
- Also rushed 127 times for 619 yards and 14 scores
- 2008 Team Captain
- 2008 Team MVP
- Led team to a 2008 North Coast Section Division 1 Championship
- Blake Wayne's Maxpreps Page

Ian Williams (DB, 5'11, 175, West Palm Beach, Fla./The King's Academy)
- First Team All-Conference as a senior Year
- 2009 All-Palm Beach Post
- 2009 First Team All-County
- 2009 FACA All Star Selection
- 2009 Team MVP
- 2009 Outback Bowl and Broward Bowl participant
- Recorded 46 tackles and three interceptions in 2009, two of which were returned for touchdowns
- Had a 90-yard kick return for a touchdown and a 45-yard interception return for a score against Inlet Grove
- Caught 23 passes for 208 yards and six touchdowns in 2009
- 2009 200m & 4x100 relay State Champion
- Ian Williams' Maxpreps Page

Justin Yancey (DL, 6'0, 295, Dallas, Tex,/Richardson Berkner)
- Team Captain
- 2009 5A All-State
- 2009 All-District
- 2009 All-City
- 2009 Team MVP
- Made 74 total tackles, 15 solo, with two sacks in 2009
- 2008 Honorable Mention All-District
- Three-year starter
- Justin Yancey's Maxpreps Page