Feb. 1, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford head football coach Bill Gray announced the signing of 15 student-athletes, including 14 high school signees and one junior college transfer, on Wednesday.

"We had needs in certain areas, and we feel like we filled those needs," Gray said. "As always, this is an exciting time of year to see the results of all of the hard work put in to trying to find the right fit to plug into our football team. I think our coaches did a good job of getting into the schools, and we are very pleased.

"We were a little under last year, so we had a few more scholarships to give than just the five that graduated," Gray said. "We will sign twice the number on defense as on offense. Part of the reason for that is that we went after certain needs, and the other part is we wanted to increase our athleticism on that side of the ball.

"Although small in number, this class has the two things we are looking for and those are size and speed," Gray said. "Anytime, defensively, you can add size up front and increase your team speed, your team will get better. Add to that some key players that will help us offensively, and we can't help but be pleased. "

Below are capsules on Samford's 2006 signees:

Brett Bolton, DE, 6-1, 235, Washington HS, Pensacola, Fla. - Bolton was named to the All-West Florida team as a senior. He also played in the West Florida All-Star Game, and he was named to the National Honor Society.

Coach Gray on Bolton: "Brett comes in as a defensive end, but possibly could be moved inside. He plays the game hard, and he comes out of a good program at Pensacola Washington. He is an excellent student. We like his motor, and that is the main reason we went with him."

Kyle Kirby, DT, 6-2, 240, Lake Brantley HS, Altamonte Springs, Fla. - Kirby was named his team's captain and second-team All-State as a senior. He also led his team to the 6A regional finals as a senior. In December 2005, he was selected to play in the Florida East-West High School All-Star Game.

Coach Gray on Kirby: "Kyle Kirby is a guy who has a lot of strength. He benches over 400 pounds, and that will enable him to lineup as an inside guy. We feel like we will be able to put some weight on him. He is also an excellent student. Because of his strength, we feel like he will have the chance to come in and play early."

Kyle Castles, OL, 6-3, 300, Itawamba Community College, Tupelo, Miss. - Kyle Castles comes to Samford after serving as a two-year starter on the offensive line for Itawamba. This season, he was selected for the Mississippi Junior College All-Star Game. Castles was a three-year starter for Tupelo High School. As a senior, Castles was named to the All-Area and All-Region teams. He was also named the Best Offensive Lineman on his team.

Coach Gray on Castles: "We needed to sign an interior offensive lineman who can come in and play immediately, and we feel like Kyle can do that. He came out of an excellent high school in Tupelo, Miss., by way of Itawamba Community College. He is an older player, which gives him maturity, not only against good players, but with his size and strength. He played against some very good lineman in the Mississippi Junior College system. So, he has played against some very good players. He is a good fit academically as well."

Jamael Lett, CB, 5-9, 165, Davidson HS, Mobile, Ala. - Lett registered 56 tackles, two interceptions and 11 pass break-ups as a senior at Davidson High School. He was named to the All-Region Team, and he was the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship nominee from Davidson. He posted a 4.08 GPA, and was named Mr. Davidson High School.

Coach Gray on Lett: "We are extremely excited to have Jamael. What we noticed early about him is that he plays with reckless abandon. He was also a return man for a very good Davidson team. When he gets the ball in his hands, he goes north and south, there is no indecision on his part. He really comes off the breaks well at corner. The fact that he was named Mr. Davidson High School tells you what kind of character he has off the field. We really like the way he runs and plays the game, and we think he can do a number of things for us."

Rumiko Forrester, LB/DE, 6-2, 200, Northview HS, Dothan, Ala. - Forrester lettered four years in football and baseball, and three years in basketball. He was named his team's Defensive Player of the Year and team captain in 2005. He registered 146 total tackles, including 97 solo stops as a senior.

Coach Gray on Forrester: "Rumiko is a young man who could play defensive end or linebacker. What we liked about him was the fact that he can run. He loves to play the game, and he has good size and strength. He plays three sports at Northview, so we feel like he will put on some pounds when he gets into one sport at the college level. He has an infectious personality and will be a great fit in our locker room."

Patrick Hatcher, DT, 6-4, 240, Pope HS, Marietta, Ga. - Hatcher was named first-team All-County for Cobb County and for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also named first-team All-Region. Hatcher also played basketball and baseball as a sophomore and rugby as a junior.

Coach Gray on Hatcher: "We wanted a defensive tackle we thought had the size and frame and could run enough to do a number of things and we found that in Patrick Hatcher. He was a highly-recruited young man. He played both sides of the ball at Pope, but we will project him as a defensive tackle. He could very easily play both sides of the ball, but he will get his start on defense. We are glad to have him, and we believe he will do a good job for us."

Chris Legette, QB, 6-2, 205, Stockbridge HS, Stockbridge, Ga. - Legette lettered three years in both football and basketball. He was the team's captain in 2005, and he received the Henry County Pine State Mortgage Player of the Week Award during his senior season. He was named Honorable Mention All-State in 2005.

Coach Gray on Legette: "We feel good about signing Chris. He is a very athletic young man at 6-2 and 205, so he already has the size to have an advantage at that position. He is a lefty, which is something we haven't had here in a while. He ran basically the same offense we do at his high school. He carries himself with quiet confidence and is a tremendous leader. Several schools wanted him and we feel fortunate to have signed him."

Demonte King, WR, 6-2, 200, Charles Henderson HS, Troy, Ala. - King caught 45 passes for 725 yards and 10 touchdown as a senior at Charles Henderson High School. For his career, he had 95 receptions for 1,325 yards and 14 touchdowns. Defensively, he registered 67 tackles and three interceptions.

Coach Gray on King: "We wanted to sign an inside receiver and an outside receiver, and Demonte fits what we wanted as the outside receiver. He reminds us of Freddy Young, but we feel like he will be a little bigger than Freddy. What we continued to notice on film is that he continued to make plays in the spread offense. He catches the ball well and he is big enough that he can be physical and block down field. He has excellent hands, and that is one of the first things we noticed about him."

Shawn Jones, DT, 6-3, 275, Lafayette HS, Mayo, Fla. - Jones was a first-team All-State selection, and he was named his team's Best Lineman in 2005. He was also named to the first-team All-Area team by the Gainesville Sun. In 2004, he was a first-team All-Area selection by the Gainesville Sun, and a second-team All-State selection.

Coach Gray on Jones: Shawn Jones brings the size we are looking for on defense. What stood out on film to us was that for a man his size, he never came off the field, playing both offense and defense. He has a lot of intangibles that give him a chance to have a good career here at Samford."

Ty Levie, S, 6-1, 185, Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tenn. - Levie was a two-time All-State selection at Baylor School in Chattanooga. He led his conference with six interceptions as a senior and was named to the Chattanooga Times Free Press All-City Team as a defensive back. He also caught 49 passes for 584 yards as a senior.

Coach Gray on Levie: Ty is a young man who several schools wanted. He has some range and he can run. We got an early commitment from Ty and we hung on with him until the end. We feel like he can not only come in and put our defense in the right spot, but he can also make plays at the safety position. We feel like he can compete and compete early on simply because he can run. He has a lot of athletic ability.

Brock Johnson, WR, 5-8, 165, Fairhope HS, Fairhope, Ala. - Johnson was named to the All-County team as a senior. He caught 53 passes for 511 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 531 yards and five touchdowns on 78 carries. He returned 13 kickoffs for 501 yards.

Coach Gray on Johnson: "Brock Johnson fits what we need as an inside receiver. He is also a young man who will compete to return kicks and punts for us. We are very excited to sign him. He has legitimate 4.3 speed. He did a lot of good things at Fairhope, and we feel like he can be a threat anytime the ball is in his hands. We look forward to putting the ball in his hands."

Derek Slaughter, DE/Ath., 6-2, 210, Mt. Zion HS, Jonesboro, Ga. - In 2005, Slaughter was named first-team Southern Crescent, All-Kudzu and first-team Clayton Daily. He was also named to the All-Area team as a senior, and he was named to the Clayton/Henry County Super 11 team. In 2004, Slaughter was named one of the top 150 players in the Southeast. He was also named his team's Defensive Player of the Year. He was an All-State honorable mention as a junior as well.

Coach Gray on Slaughter: "Derek Slaughter can play a number of spots. He played mostly defensive end in high school. He runs very well, and he will get a shot at either defensive end or linebacker for us because of the fact that he can run. He also has good size and is very, very athletic. Overall, Derek may be the most athletic player in our signing class."

Matthew Mauldin, OL, 6-5, 270, Seminary HS, Seminary, Miss. - Mauldin was named All-American by Prep Star Magazine in 2005. He was also named the Most Valuable Receiver for Seminary High School. Mauldin was named to the District 8-2A Super Team. He was All-District and All-State as a junior in 2004. He was also named All-State in track as a junior.

Coach Gray on Mauldin: "Matt is a young man who had some Division I-A offers coming out of a small school. He played tight end and defensive end at Seminary. He is a big man who runs a 4.8, 40-yard dash which will enable us to do a lot of things with him on the offensive line. We project him as an offensive lineman, probably as a tackle for us. He is a very hard worker and we are excited to sign him."

Adam Newton, DE, 6-5, 235, Daphne HS, Daphne, Ala. - Newton was named second-team All-Region as a senior. He registered 73 tackles and nine sacks. He was also named his team's captain.

Coach Gray on Newton: "Adam was the team captain for a very good Daphne team this year. He plays hard every snap. At his height, he gives us what we were looking for at defensive end. With his frame and potential for growth he should be a factor coming off the edge for years to come. We feel like Adam will be able to do some good things for us."

Jeremy Richardson, S, 6-1, 195, Moss Point HS, Moss Point, Miss. - Jeremy Richardson was named to the All-Region team for Region IV in 2005, and he was an honorable mention All-Region selection in 2004. As a senior, he registered 43 tackles, one sack, one pass break-up, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, one interception and one quarterback hurry.

Coach Gray on Richardson: "Jeremy is a guy who played linebacker in high school, but will play either linebacker or safety for us, depending on how he progresses. He comes out of a program that consistently turns out good players year in and year out. Not only is he is a guy who can run, but he also loves to play the game physically. His enthusiasm really jumped off the film at us."