Feb. 1, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lions annouce class of 32 football signees
Tatum s first class includes 23 incoming freshmen and nine transfers

Missouri Southern s new head football coach Bart Tatum announced today a class of 32 individuals, 23 incoming freshmen and nine transfers, for the Lions 2006 recruiting class.

The recruiting process went well, said Tatum, who was introduced at Missouri Southern on Dec. 13, just 50 days ago.

I can t imagine the recruiting process having gone any better, given the circumstances, he said. The efficiency that netted this recruiting class was exemplary.

From his first day on campus, Tatum and his new coaching staff identified the team s areas of need in the MSSU program. Those needs were wide ranging, but Tatum feels they were addressed well.

We had comprehensive needs across the board and, I think with one exeption, we addressed our needs very well, he said. That one exception was the offensive line. We would ve liked to have had another offensive lineman or two, but it wasn t meant to be.

The Lions signed 18 players for the offensive side of the football. The new class includes four offensive linemen, four running backs and four wide receivers. Four also are listed at fullback (one can double as a tight end) and two are pegged as quarterbacks.

Thirteen of the newcomers are listed in defensive positions. The Lions added six defensive backs, four defensive linemen and three linebackers.

Another new addition is currently listed in positions on both sides of the ball.

Missouri Southern s base of players came from the southern portion of the U.S. Ten of the new additions are from Oklahoma, including eight from powerful Sooner State programs like Tulsa Union, Jenks and Sand Springs. Seven new signees are from Missouri and five call California home. There s also three newcomers each from Texas and Alabama, two from Mississippi and one each from Georgia and Hawaii.

While Tatum and his staff can now switch their focus from recruiting for 2006, their job is far from over.

There s still so much to do, it s a long time before any weight is off anybody s shoulders, he said. We ve gotten through signing day and now we re onto the next thing, which is the offseason and spring football.

Spring drills kick off on March 5 and run through early April.

Listed below are short bios on each of the 32 new signees for the Lions:

Anthon Aiono
Fullback, 6-0, 260
Kansas City, Mo. (Park Hill HS)
A fullback/linebacker for the Park Hill Trojans of coach Greg Reynolds, this freshman signee was named the 10th best fullback in the nation in 2004 by College Scout TV.com ... the most valuable player on the Park Hill team as a senior, he helped the Trojans win the district title and reach the semifinal round in the state playoffs ... selected on the all-district second team.

Montereo Baker
Offensive Line, 5-10, 265, Jr.
Columbus, Miss. (East Central [Miss.] CC)
Captained East Central's football team last season and earned all-conference honorable mention ... lettered in football, track and powerlifting at Columbus (Miss.) High School ... lettered two years each in football and powerlifting and lettered one year in track as a shot putter ... earned all-state honorable mention and was a first-team all-county selection in football for the Columbus Falcons.

Jimmy Ballard
Linebacker/Tight End, 6-2, 195
Springfield, Mo. (Kickapoo HS)
A letterman in football, track and baseball, he started two years at linebacker and tight end for the Chiefs of coach Kurt Thompson ... a two-time All-Ozark Conference and all-district selection, he was named all-state in 2005 and was his team s most valuable player as a junior and senior ... lettered three years in track throwing the discus and was a catcher in baseball.

Matt Barker
Offensive Line, 6-4, 285
Muskogee, Okla. (Fort Gibson HS)
A letterman in three sports, he earned all-district honors two straight years as a two-way starter in football for the Fort Gibson Tigers of coach Jeff Taylor ... played both offensive and defensive tackle ... helped Fort Gibson win a district championship in wrestling and threw the shot and discus two years for the track squad.

Jeff Bates
Defensive Line, 6-3, 235
Springfield, Mo. (Hillcrest HS)
Big defensive end earned all-Ozark Conference mention after logging 70 tackles, including four quarterback sacks, his senior year ... lettered three years and started his junior and senior years for the Hornets of coach Gary Turner.

Rafael Brewster
Defensive Line, 6-2, 260, Jr.
Loganville, Ga. (Golden West C.C.)
An all-conference selection at Golden West last fall, he led his team in quarterback sacks as a freshman with seven and a half ... a graduate of Meadow Creek High School in Norcross, Ga., he lettered three years each in football and wrestling . . . earned first-team all-state and all-county as a high school linebacker and was named to the Gwinnett County Super 11 ... set school record for most tackles in a season with 177, including 77 solos.

Corderial Carter
Defensive Back, 6-0, 195
Opelika, Ala. (Opelika HS)
Selected one of the top 100 football players in Alabama his senior year, he earned all-area first-team honors as a junior and senior and was named to the all-state first team as a senior ... named the outstanding defensive back in his area as a senior ... was a two-year starter for the Opelika Bulldogs who won Region 3 championships in 2003 and 2005.

Sterling Carter
Defensive Line, 6-2, 230
Arlington, Texas (Summit HS, Mansfield, Texas)
A two-time all-district most valuable player, he logged the most tackles for losses as a senior . . . helped the Jaguars of Coach Kyle Geller win a district championship as a junior and share the district title as a senior ... Summit reached the regional semifinals in 2004 and the quarterfinals in 2005 ... Carter also threw the shot put and discus in track.

Freddie Colbert
Running Back, 5-10, 205, Jr.
Baldwin Park, Calif. (East Los Angeles College)
|Set multiple rushing records at Alhambra (Calif.) High School and was the offensive player of the year as a senior, amassing 2,100 yards and scoring 32 touchdowns ... set school record of most touchdowns in a game (seven), most rushing yards in a game (364) and most yards per carry (8.6) ... earned all-conference honors and was the offensive player of the year as a senior ... lettered four years in football and one in track as a sprinter ... is a relative of former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman.

Seth Cowan
Tight End/Fullback, 6-1, 240
Tulsa, Okla. (Tulsa Union HS)
Comes from one of the most successful high school football programs in Oklahoma and was a member of Tulsa Union state championship teams in 2002, 2004 and 2005 ... lettered four years and started three years, playing some at both tight end and fullback for the Redskins of coach Bill Blankenship.

Justin Cowper
Defensive Back, 5-10, 170
Opelika, Ala. (Opelika HS)
All-area selection in 2004 and 2005, this Missouri Southern recruit was named special teams player of the year after blocking four kicks during the 2005 season ... had one interception on defense ... like prep teammate Corderial Carter, helped the Bulldogs win regional championships in 2003 and 2005 ... competed on relay teams in track.

Tim Dearman
Offensive Line, 6-4, 260
Morris, Okla. (Morris HS)
Oklahoma District 5 lineman of the year in 2005, this Southern signee was selected to the all-state first team for all classes after starting three years at offensive and defensive tackle for the Eagles of coach Larry Crenshaw ... voted the outstanding lineman on his squad as a junior and senior, he was named to the Class 3A all-star team both years.

Luke Deras
Linebacker, 5-11, 220, Jr.
Santa Maria, Calif. (Allan Hancock JC)
An all-conference selection in junior college, this Missouri Southern recruit was all-everything at Righetti High School in Santa Maria, Calif. ... was a first-team selection on the all-conference, all-area and all-state teams and was the all-county most valuable defensive player ... set school record with 143 tackles ... started four years for the Righetti Warriors.

Cebron Finley
Linebacker, 6-0, 238, Sr.
Meridian, Miss. (Missouri State University)
Outstanding prep linebacker continued stellar play at East Mississippi Juco in 2002-03 and at Missouri State University in 2004 ... logged 48 tackles, including 13 solos, and had a career-high 11 tackles against Southern Illinois University at MSU ... earned all-conference honors after leading East Mississippi in tackles ... selected team captain as a sophomore ... started four years at running back and linebacker at Meridian High School for the Wildcats of Coach Bill Sartain ... was all-league, all-county and all-state first-team selection ... led the Wildcats in tackles all four years and set a school record with 22 solo stops in one game ... was named one of the top 25 linebackers in the state in 2002.

Kyle Greenspan
Strong Safety, 5-11, 195, Jr.
Encinitas, Calif. (San Diego Mesa CC)
After attending Palomar (Calif.) CC for one year, he played last season at Mesa where he led his squad in interceptions with eight ... was a three-sport standout at St. Augustine High School in San Diego, lettering two years each in football and baseball and four years in soccer ... earned all-league honors in all three sports and was a first-team pick on the all-district and all-state football teams ... was an all-conference punter with an average of 43.8 yards per kick.

Zach Gregory
Fullback, 5-11, 260, Jr.
Honolulu, Hawaii (Golden West CC)
Transfer joins the Lions after playing last season at Golden West Community College ... started four years at linebacker and running back for the Kalani High School Falcons in Honolulu ... was first-team all-state selection after earning all-conference MVP offensive honor ... named to the OIA East all-star team and played in the Hawaii Union Builders All-Star game.

Kyron Hill
Fullback, 5-11, 220
Sand Springs, Okla. (Sand Springs HS)
A two-year starter for the Sandites, he was named the Sand Springs back of the year in 2005 ... played both ways for the Sandites, also seeing action at linebacker on defense ... named player of the week during the fifth week of the season last fall and earned honorable mention on the District Five all-star team ... O.J. McDuffie, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, is a cousin.

Toderick Hunt
Running Back, 5-11, 221
Jasper, Texas (Jasper HS)
A two-way standout for the Jasper Bulldogs, runners-up in the Texas Class 3A state championship in 2005, Hunt was named to two all-state teams last fall ... in addition to being honored for his athletic skills, he also was named to the all-state academic team ... captain of the Bulldogs, he was named the district MVP on defense and earned first-team honors on the all-district team ... two relatives, Trung Candidate of the St. Louis Rams and Zaclt Bronson of the San Francisco 49ers, play pro football.

Renard Johnson
Running Back, 5-8, 190
Tulsa, Okla. (Tulsa Union)
Led the Union Bulldogs of coach Bill Blankenship to the Oklahoma Class 6A state championship in 2005, rushing 38 times for 255 yards and one touchdown in the title game ... finished his senior year with 1,665 yards and 24 touchdowns on 261 carries, an average of 6.4 yards per carry ... transferred to Union after playing his sophomore and junior seasons at Jenks, Okla., and helping the Trojans to runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2004 ... was an all-state first-team selection in 2005 ... his father, Renard, played football for the Washington Redskins, uncle, Reggie Brooks, played at Notre Dame and with the Redskins, uncle, Tony Brooks, played at Notre Dame and with the Philadelphia Eagles, and uncle, Tony Peters, played at Oklahoma University and with the Redskins.

Jeremiah Jones
Quarterback, 6-0, 190
Fairfield, Ala. (Fairfield HS)
As a senior in 2005 for the Fairfield Tigers, he accounted for 41 touchdowns in leading his team to the Class 5A state semifinals before suffering its only loss in a 14-game season . . . had over 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns rushing and passed for more than 1,000 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2005 after topping 1,000 yards passing and rushing as a junior ... compiled a 25-3 record in two years as Fairfield's starting quarterback ... listed among the top 50 quarterbacks in Alabama ... selected most valuable player for the North squad in Alabama s high school all-star game.

Cody McClafferty
Linebacker, 6-1, 238
Springfield, Mo. (Kickapoo HS)
One of the outstanding defenders in the Ozark Conference, this MSSU recruit earned all-conference honors as a junior and senior and was all-district at tight end and linebacker as a senior ... earned second-team all-state honors at tight end in 2005 ... started three years for the Kickapoo Chiefs of coach Kurt Thompson ... also lettered four years throwing the shot in track.

Zach McFerren
Running Back, 6-0, 190
St. Louis, Mo. (Rockwood Summit HS)
A two-year all-Suburban South Conference selection, he was named offensive player of the year in 2005 and was named to the all-state team ... received mention on the St. Louis All-Metro squad.

Brandon McLaurin
Wide Receiver, 5-10, 170
Jenks, Okla. (Jenks HS)
Selected to the Oklahoma all-state first team (all classes) at wide receiver, this talented Missouri Southern recruit was a member of the class 6A state championship team in 2003 and the state runner-up the following year ... A two-time player of the week, he has been selected to play in the Oklahoma All-Star game ... also saw some action at running back for the Trojans of coach Allen Trimble ... earned three letters in track as a sprinter in the 400-meter dash.

Isaac Norman
Wide Receiver, 5-6, 150
Jenks, Okla. (Jenks HS)
A speedster, this newcomer was a member of the Trojans' state championship team in 2003 and the runner-up squad in 2004 ... a sprinter, he has personal bests of 48.9 in the 400 meters and 10.6 in the 100 meters ... finished eighth in the 100 meters in the state meet in 2005 and was a member of the Jenks team that finished second overall in Oklahoma.

Jake Santos
Quarterback, 6-0, 205, Jr.
San Diego, Calif. (San Diego Mesa College)
Earned all-conference first-team accolades at Mesa Community College after earning post-season honors as a prep quarterback at St. Augustine High School in San Diego ... threw for 3,581 yards and 35 touchdowns at Mesa, completing 260 of 513 passes ... averaged 196 yards a game of total offense during his junior college career ... completed 154 of 294 passes as a sophomore for 1,951 yards and 20 TDs ... set high school records for most touchdowns in a season and set a state high school record for the most touchdowns in a game with eight ... was a second-team all-state selection twice, leading his team to the California Interscholastic Federation finals ... Eastern League player of the year, he was a first-team pick of the San Diego Union-Tribune and was named to the San Diego Hall of Fame ... three brothers also played collegiate athletics.

Terrence Scott
Safety, 6-2, 195
Jasper, Texas (Jasper HS)
Talented on the football field and in the classroom, this MSSU recruit was named to both the all-state football and all-state academic teams in 2005 ... nominated for the Willie Ray Smith award as the most outstanding football player in southeast Texas ... also selected most valuable offensive player in Class 3A District 22 and helped the Jasper Bulldogs finish second in Class 3A last season.

Sam Sebo
Safety, 6-1, 190
Jenks, Okla. (Jenks HS)
Talented defender joins prep teammates Brandon McLaurin and Isaac Norman on Missouri Southern's list of freshman recruits ... an all-conference and all-district selection, he received honorable mention on the all-state team in Class 6A ... helped Jenks win a state title in 2003 and finish second the following year ... started two years for the Trojans of coach Allen Trimble.

Preston Stigall
Safety, 5-11, 180
Mountain Grove, Mo. (Mountain Grove HS)
A two-way standout for the Mountain Grove Panthers, Stigall was named offensive player of the year by the Southwest Missouri Coaches Association ... an all-conference wide receiver, he was named All-Ozarks defensive back of the year ... selected all-state twice by the SMCA ... a four-year letterman in golf, he has competed in the state tournament three straight years, helping his team win district titles all three years ... played on Panther football teams that won district titles four straight years and reached the state semifinals the last two years ... started three years at guard in basketball and teams that won two district championships and reached the Final Four once.

Jonathon Terry
Wide Receiver, 6-0, 185
Carthage, Mo. (Carthage HS)
This top local product was a two-time all-state selection as a wide receiver for the Carthage Tigers of coach Jon Guidie ... earned first-team all-state accolades as a senior and was a third-team honoree as a junior ... also named the Southwest Conference Player of the Year and a first-team all-district wide receiver at the end of his senior season.

Tony Thompson
Defensive Line, 6-2, 235
Tulsa, Okla. (Tulsa School of Science & Technology)
Was a first-team selection on the all-district team in 2005 and earned second-team honors on the all-Metro and all-state squads ... a four-year starter in football, he played on state championship teams in 2002, 2004 and 2005 ... also started three years in basketball and earned four letters in track as a shot putter.

David Ventura
Offensive Line, 6-0, 290, Jr.
Lynwood, Calif. (East Los Angeles College)
Captained the offensive team at East Los Angeles College and earned all-conference honors ... helped team post a 5-5 record, its first 5-win season in five years ... previously attended Mount San Antonio (Calif.) College ... started three years at offensive center and guard at Lynwood High School, earning all-league and all CIF honors ... was selected offensive captain his senior year as the Lynwood Knights finished 10-1-1 and reached the state playoffs ... team was 7-4 in 2002 and reached the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.

Martwain Willis
Wide Receiver, 6-3, 175
Sand Springs, Okla. (Sand Springs HS)
An all-conference selection in 2005, he set three school records with the most receiving yards in a game (219, vs. Muskogee), most touchdowns in a game (3 vs. Muskogee), and the most receptions in a season (47) ... finished the year with 825 yards receiving and scored 11 touchdowns ... also lettered three years in basketball for the Sandites ... an uncle, Alfred Humphrey, played at Tulsa University, and a cousin, Ron Humphrey, played for the Memphis Grizzlies.