Aug. 18, 2010
Practice Photo Gallery (August 18, 2010)
Bronx, N.Y. -
Today was a single session practice for the Rams, who took to Coffey Field at 2:00 p.m. for their workout. It was 12th practice session of camp for Fordham as the Rams get ready for their second scrimmage of camp on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. on Coffey Field.
Here are some observations from today's practice:
Scouting the Rams: Apparently the Arizona Cardinals think they're on to something. After drafting Fordham's all-time leading passer John Skelton in the fifth round last June, they sent a scout out to today's practice. Maybe he was there to check on the other Skelton brother, Stephen Skelton, a senior tight end who was named
2010 First Team Preseason All-America by both
The Sports Network and
Phil Steele's College Football Preview. He was also named an Honorable Mention NCAA FCS Preseason All-American by Consensus Draft Services, while being listed among the Top Ten receivers in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) for the upcoming season by
The Sports Network. Last year, Skelton hauled in 63 passes from his brother John, for 634 yards and six touchdowns. The 63 receptions are the most all-time for a Fordham tight end and the fifth best total in school history. Skelton had two 100-yard receiving games last fall, a ten-reception, career-high 138-yard game against Old Dominion on October 3rd and a career-high 13-catch, 102 yard contest against Holy Cross on October 31st. Skelton ranked fourth in the Patriot League in receptions per game (5.7), 31st in the NCAA FCS, and ninth in the conference in and 81st in the NCAA receiving yards per game (57.6)
Healing Hands: Senior wide receiver Jason Caldwell is working his way back from a shoulder injury suffered in spring practice and has been getting lots of reps on the field in a yellow jersey as he has not been cleared for contact. He was named a 2010 First Team Preseason All-America by both The Sports Network and Phil Steele's College Football Preview. Last year, Caldwell was named an NCAA FCS Honorable Mention All-America by the College Sporting News as well as Second Team FCS All-America by The Sports Network and Third Team Associated Press FCS All-America.
The 2010 team captain turned in one of the most productive season for a Fordham wide receiver in 200, catching 79 passes for 1,252 yards and nine touchdowns. The 79 receptions and 1,252 receiving yards are both the second best single season total in school history while his nine touchdown catches ties him for third. Caldwell leads the Patriot League in receptions per game (7.2) and receiving yards/game (113.8). He finished second in the NCAA FCS in total receiving yards, third in receiving yards/game, tied for tenth in the in receptions/game and 27th in all-purpose yards/game.
On the year, Caldwell recorded seven 100-yard receiving games, including a nine-catch, 254-yard, four-touchdown game at Cornell, tying Javarus Dudley's single-game mark for touchdown receptions in a game and finishing one shy of Dudley's school mark for receiving yards in a game.
Calling the Signals: On the day Brett Favre returned to Green Bay's camp, the Fordham quarterback situation is still undecided. Sophomores
Ryan Higgins and
Blake Wayne have both been taking snaps with the first team while junior
Doug Papy has also been getting time at quarterback. One thing's fir sure, whoever gets the starting nod will be inexperienced as Papy is the only one to have taken a snap in a varsity game, that coming last fall when he appeared in three games, attempting one pass.
Triple Threat: Even though the new Ram quarterback will be inexperienced, the other player lining up in the backfield will have plenty of experience. Senior Xavier Martin and junior Darryl Whiting, the top two rushers from 2009, return to the running back spot. They will be joined by talented Hofstra transfer Carlton Koonce along with senior Quasand Lewis and freshman Kyle Finnegan.
Last year, Whiting gained 681 yards on 132 carries (5.2 yards/rush) with five touchdowns while Martin added 66 yards on 129 attempts (5.2 yards/rush) and six scores. Martin enters the season ranked fourth on the Fordham all-time rushing yards record list with 2,538 yards, 153 yards behind Pierre Davis (1974-77) for third on the list.
Locker Room Update: The new Beryl and John Lyons Football Locker Room is almost complete. The Seven Blocks of Granite photo is up on one wall and a Vincent Lombardi and head shot are also prominent on another wall. Just a few finishing touches remain, including hooking up the flat screen televisions.
Big and Young: The Rams have two freshman offensive linemen in camp who stick out due to their size. Kai Brusch (6'4, 270) and Steven Tapia (6'5, 300) have both been getting reps with the offensive line. Brusch is an interesting find who is from Germany but played at Salisbury School in Connecticut the past two years. He got involved with football as part of the USA Football International Student Program.
New Faces on Defensive Coaching Staff: The 2010 Fordham squad features a new defensive coordinator along with three new position coaches, though two of the "new" coaches are appearing for the second time on the Fordham staff. Defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach Matt Dawson, who served as the special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the Rams in 2006, returns to Rose Hill after spending the past two years as the linebacker coach at New Hampshire. He helped the Wildcats win the CAA Northern Division championship last year and advance to the NCAA FCS playoffs.
Also back is Tim Cary, who serves as the defensive backs coach as well as the recruiting coordinator for Fordham. He also spent the 2006 season on Tom Masella's staff, assisting with the defensive backs. For the past three years, Cary was a graduate assistant coach at the University of Connecticut.
The other new defensive coaches are Greg Crum, who is coaching the defensive line this fall after serving as the defensive coordinator at WPI for the past four years, and Nate Slutzky, who is responsible for the outside linebackers. He arrives at Rose Hill after working on the Rutgers staff last fall.
