rutgers report

[smazza]

Bulked-up Abreu back, poised to perform for Rutgers

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

BY TOM LUICCI

Star-Ledger Staff

For most of his life -- and through travels that began in his native Dominican Republic, took him to Brooklyn for 10 years, then to Utah for two more before ending in Union City -- Manny Abreu was a superior athlete in search of sport.

Basketball was his love until he showed up at Union Hill High School's football practice as a freshman.

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"The first time I put on pads I broke a starting cornerback's collarbone," Abreu said after Rutgers' first day of preseason practice yesterday. "I was playing tight end, did a drag route, caught the ball and he hit me and I ran him over.

"That was it for him."

It was also enough to convince Abreu.

"That's when I knew I might be good at football," he said.

Rutgers fans haven't seen much yet of the player who was rated the nation's No. 2 weakside linebacker after his senior year in high school because of a hip injury that limited him to two games as a true freshman last year.

But they will see more of him this fall -- in a couple of ways.

Not only did Abreu open camp yesterday at Rutgers Stadium as the starter at strongside linebacker for the Knights, he did so after checking in at an imposing 6-3, 245 -- 30 pounds more than he weighed a year ago.

"I hope he can pick up where he left off in the spring," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "I think Manny improved quite a bit this spring. He has the physical abilities to be a tremendous player. It's just going to be a matter of how fast he gets it all.

[smazza]

Tackle Vallone taking it slowly while foot heals

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

BY TOM LUICCI

Star-Ledger Staff

One day after saying he thought incoming freshman Wayne Warren might be the only player who would be limited during preseason practice, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano added a second name to the list.

Promising true freshman defensive tackle Scott Vallone will be brought along slowly as he recovers from foot surgery.

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That may be part of the reason that linebacker Blair Bines is being tried at defensive tackle -- along with true freshman linebacker Eric LeGrand.

Vallone, an impressive physical specimen, was expected to make a strong bid for the tackle spot next to Pete Tverdov, but his recovery saw him restricted in what he could do on the first day of practice yesterday.

"Vallone didn't do anything (yesterday)," Schiano said. "The surgery went well, but he is not full go. It's a little bit upsetting because we thought he had a chance (to play). We'll see. We'll see how fast the foot heals."

Schiano said the timetable for the 6-3, 270-pound Vallone to be given full clearance "might be a couple of weeks."

"The tough part is, we only have about two weeks. Then we start getting ready for games," he said."

LeGrand, a 6-2, 240-pounder from Colonia, may benefit from Vallone's down time -- if he can take advantage of the opportunity with the position switch.

"He's a talented, strong guy for his age," Schiano said. "We're trying to figure out if he can help us this year, because if he can we'll move him. If he can't then we'll decided what to do with him."

Warren, a defensive back, is recovering from knee surgery.

CONTINUED

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Young anxious to prove himself

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

BY TOM LUICCI

Star-Ledger Staff

Forget the heat, the monotony, the nearly four-week grind that can wear both mentally and physically on a player. Kordell Young is eager to embrace all of it when Rutgers starts preseason football practice today.

It's the only way, he figures, to answer once and for all the questions that have followed him for nearly a year now.

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When he turns on the TV Thursday, he will likely see Ray Rice, the running back he is trying to replace, starting a preseason exhibition game for the Baltimore Ravens. When he arrived at the Hale Center yesterday to report with the rest of his teammates, he did so toting a bulky brace.

Ever since a season-ending knee injury in the third game of last season resulted in surgery and forced him to miss spring practice, his knee's status and filling Rice's shoes have been the two overriding themes of Young's life.

Can he prove to be an adequate replacement for Rice, the greatest running back in school history? Is he fully recovered?

"I want to show that I can fight through this knee injury," Young said. "I want to show that I am healthy."

The brace notwithstanding -- he said he may wear it for protection during practice -- the 5-9, 185-pound Young appears ready to deliver on the promise he arrived with as one of the state's most decorated backs three years ago.

He has been given clearance to practice without limitations -- no small thing with Rutgers looking to fill the enormous void left by Rice, a 2,000-yard rusher last season.

"Everybody I've been around, they tell me he's looked great (this summer)," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said.

Young, along with linebacker Damaso Munoz, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, won't be babied during practice, either. Schiano wants to know as quickly as possible about both.

[smazza]

Rutgers loses three before camp begins

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

BY BRENDAN PRUNTY

Star-Ledger Staff

NEWPORT, R.I. -- It's less than one week until Rutgers checks in for the 2008 football season and the team is already down three players.

Running back Rashad White of Teaneck, wide receiver Malcolm Johnson from Bartow, Fla. and defensive end Kevin Egan of West Hartford, Conn. won't be reporting Monday.

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All three are not listed in the team's media guide or on the team's website with the list of the other 2008 recruits.

White, a 5-11, 170-pounder from Teaneck High School who rushed for 1,463 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior last fall, has long had his academic status in question. A person answering the phone at the house of White's grandmother yesterday said he didn't know anything about White's plans for this fall. White had been rated as one of the top running backs in New Jersey last year.

Johnson, rated the No. 37 wide receiver in the country by ESPN.com, could not be reached regarding his status. The 6-1, 170-pound receiver is a cousin of current Rutgers wideout Tim Brown.

Egan, the third member of the class to have dropped from the team, apparently had a change of heart about playing college football. The 6-4, 235-pound defensive end was a late signee from Northwest Catholic High School.

Originally, the Knights' incoming freshman class numbered 21 scholarship players, but after the loss of White, Johnson and Egan, it is down to 18.

The loss of White figures to cloud the picture at running back even more.

With the school's all-time leading rusher, Ray Rice now in the NFL, the Scarlet Knights running back corps is short on experience with only junior Kordell Young having seen any significant time. The future at the position got even weaker this past weekend with the news that highly-touted recruit Desmond Scott of North Carolina rescinded his 2009 commitment to Rutgers, opting to attend Duke instead.

Staff writer Tom Luicci contributed to this report. Brendan Prunty may be reached at bprunty@starledger.com

[smazza]

Rutgers Football Sold Out for 2008 Season Text Size:   

 

Tickets to Away Games Still Available Through RU Ticket Office

Posted on 8/5/2008 6:44:48 PM  PRINT THIS PAGE  E-MAIL THIS PAGE  RSS

PISCATAWAY, NJ – The Rutgers Athletics Ticket Office has announced that all seven home games for the 2008 football season have sold out. With the announcement, it extends the sell-out streak to 17 consecutive games for the Scarlet Knights at home, the longest streak in school history.

Single-game tickets that were not utilized by visiting teams went on-sale to season waiting list customers Thursday, July 31.  By Friday morning, five games had sold out.  Tickets to the Fresno State and Morgan State games sold out early this week.

There is still a slight chance additional single-game tickets may become available if visiting teams return a portion of their contracted allotment. Away game tickets will be available to alumni and the general public beginning August 6th at 12:01 a.m. To purchase tickets, please log on to http://tickets.scarletknights.com

[smazza]

 

Frank Edgerly Named Director of Football Recruiting Operations at Rutgers Text Size:   

 

Former Red Bank Catholic Head Coach Joins Greg Schiano’s Staff

Posted on 8/6/2008 6:55:36 PM  PRINT THIS PAGE  E-MAIL THIS PAGE  RSS

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano has announced that Frank Edgerly has joined the football staff as the Director of Recruiting Operations. Edgerly was a member of the Scarlet Knight football team as a quarterback in 1992 and 1993 and started his coaching career as a student assistant coach at Rutgers in 1994.

A 1994 graduate of Rutgers, Edgerly returns to RU after a nine-year tenure as head coach at Red Bank Catholic High School.

During his nine years as head coach at Red Bank Catholic from 1999-2007, Edgerly guided the Caseys to a share of two division titles and six state playoff appearances.

His teams went 48-42 in nine seasons and last fall won a share of the Shore Conference Liberty Division championship. It was the second division title for the Caseys since 1989, when Edgerly was the starting quarterback for RBC as a senior before moving on to play quarterback at Rutgers.

[BullMedic]

Holy ****! Talk about double posting.

We would sell out every game too if we only had 44,000 seats in our stadium.

[LakeBull]

Thanks for the update Smazza.

[smazza]

Holy ****! Talk about double posting.

We would sell out every game too if we only had 44,000 seats in our stadium.

has usf averaged 44k over last 17 games?

[BullMedic]

Holy ****! Talk about double posting.

We would sell out every game too if we only had 44,000 seats in our stadium.

has usf averaged 44k over last 17 games?

Touche.