University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders Sign 16 To Football Letters Of Intent
02/07/2001 | Football
Feb. 7, 2001
Richmond, Virginia - The University of Richmond football program, under head coach Jim Reid, has signed 16 players to national letters of intent.
Brian Burnette LB 6-3 230 Chesterfield, Va./L.C. Bird
Andre Cobbs FB/LB 6-2 215 Midlothian, Va./James River
Chaz Curtis LB 6-3 225 Raleigh, N.C./Southeast Raleigh
Brian Finnigan DL 6-1 260 Alexandria, Va./St. Stephen & St. Agnes
David Freeman TB 6-1 195 Fayetteville, N.C./Seventy-First
David Gracia DE 6-3 245 Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown
John Gromin OL 6-4 245 McKeesport, Pa./Norwin
Todd Hughes OL 6-2 260 Marietta, Ga./Walton
Lamont Jones RB 5-10 185 Petersburg, Va./Matoaca
Joe Mallory TB 5-9 175 Montpelier, Va./Patrick Henry
Dan Mangiero DE 6-0 245 Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep
Todd Synan OL 6-5 275 Laurinburg, N.C./Scotland County
Ben Teufel TE/DE 6-4 245 Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville
Stacy Tutt QB 6-2 215 Tappahannock, Va./Fork Union
Lee Williams RB 5-10 215 Carthage, N.C./Union Pines/W. Carolina
Harry Wilson WR 6-2 182 Richmond, Va./Collegiate
Burnette was a two-time captain during his four years of football for Coach Dave Bedwell at L. C. Bird High School. He was First Team All-District at tight end and at linebacker during his junior and senior years. Burnette was First Team All-Region and First Team All-Metro at linebacker for two seasons. He was First Team All-State by AP and Second Team All-State by the VHSCA at linebacker. Burnette was a two-time team MVP. He also captained his 2000 basketball team.
Cobbs played fullback and linebacker for Coach Chris Bell at James River High School. He was a Second Team All-District selection. Cobbs has also been a member of the James River basketball team for four years.
Curtis was a four-year starter for Coach Chad O'Shea at Southeast Raleigh High School. He is an honor student and was a football captain this past season. Curtis averaged 12 tackles per game during his senior year. He was All-Conference during his senior year playing linebacker, defensive end, fullback, and tight end. Curtis also made the Prep Stars All-America Team and Who's Who in Sports All Stars in the High School Division. He was also a four-year letterman in both indoor and outdoor track.
Finnigan played for Coach Gary Schnell at St. Stephens. He has been a Dean's List student for three years. Finnigan has been a captain for football, wrestling and lacrosse. He was the football defensive MVP for the past two years at St. Stephens. Finnigan was two-time All-City (Alexandria), All-Conference (I.A.C.) and All-State (Virginia Independent Schools). He was Alexandria Sportsman of the Month for October 2000. In wrestling, Finnigan has been Heavyweight Champion of the I.A.C. in 2000 and 2001. He was also All-Met and All-America during his junior year.
Freeman has been an honor roll student who played for Coach Haney Catchings at Seventy-First High School. He was a football captain and four-year letterman. Freeman was named to Who's Who in Academics and received the Outstanding Senior Award for Academics. He was the football Offensive Player of the Year at Seventy-First his junior and senior years. Freeman was also the football MVP in 1999 and 2000. He was a First Team All-Conference selection in 1999 and 2000. Freeman was also First Team All-Conference the past three years for the 400 meters in track. He is currently ranked twelfth in the nation in the 200 meters indoors. Freeman has run a 49.0 quarter and a 21.9 200-meters outdoors.
Gracia was a three-year starter for one of the finest teams in southeastern Pennsylvania. He was named All-League (Chesmont) for three straight years, as well as being named All-Area (Philadelphia Inquirer) for three consecutive years. This past season, Gracia was named Defensive Player of the Year in Chester County as well as being named to the All-State Team by Pennsylvania Sports Magazine.
Gromin is a member of the National Honor Society who played under Coach Tim McCabe at Norwin High School. He was a three-year starter as well as a captain his senior year. During his career, Gromin was named First Team All-Conference, First Team All-County, First Team All-WPIAL, Terrific 25 and team MVP in both his junior and senior years. He also lettered in basketball for three years and was a team captain his senior year. Gromin also lettered in track for three years.
Hughes played football for Coach Ed Dudley at Walton High School. He is an honor student and was a captain of both his football and wrestling teams during his senior year. In football this past fall, Hughes was named First Team 5A All-Cobb County as an offensive guard, First Team 5A Region VI Offensive Lineman of the Year, First Team 5A Region VI as an offensive guard, Walton Total Athlete of the Year and Walton MVP. During his junior year, he was named Second Team 4A All-Cobb County and First Team 4A Region VI as an offensive guard. Hughes was also an outstanding member of both the wrestling and track and field teams.
Jones played football for Coach Pat Manuel at Matoaca High School. He was named First Team All-County, First Team All-Metro, First Team All-Region, and First Team All-State in both football and track. Jones rushed for a school record of 1,892 yards and has run 10.8 in the 100 meters in outdoor track. He is also an Academic All-American with a 3.5 grade point average. Jones was named the Most Outstanding Youth of Chesterfield County. He is second PTSA Vice President, a YaDaPP Youth Leader, and a member of the Key Club. Jones is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club.
Mallory lettered four years in football and was a captain this past fall. He was First Team All- Hanover County and First Team All-District during his junior and senior years. Mallory was Player of the Game in the 2000 Tomato Bowl (vs. Lee Davis), rushing for more than 160 yards. He lettered in outdoor and indoor track the past two years. Mallory was the Most Valuable Player in track and field during his sophomore and junior years. He has run a 10.6 100-meter, a 22.0 200-meter, and has jumped 22' 3' in the long jump.
Mangiero had an outstanding senior campaign, posting 77 tackles, 19 assisted tackles and 16 quarterback sacks at Poly Prep High School. He was named First Team All-New York State by the Coaches Association. In addition, Mangiero earned First Team All-City by the Daily News, First Team All-Brooklyn, and First Team All-Staten Island. The Staten Island Advance newspaper voted him one of the best defensive linemen in the area. Mangiero is also a captain of the lacrosse team. During the spring, he is a member of the track and field team, where he competes in the shot put and discus throw.
Synan played for Coach Mark Barnes at Scotland County High School. He has been on the honor roll every semester along with being a member of the National Honor Society. Synan was selected as a North Carolina Scholar because of his high grade point average and SAT test scores. He was also one of the captains of the football team. Synan was First Team All-Conference in 2000 and lettered for three years. He has been selected to play in the North Carolina East-West All-Star Game this summer. Synan was a two-year letterman in track (throwing the shot put and discus), and a one-year letterman in tennis.
Teufel had an outstanding football career for Coach Jeff Beard at Kempsville High School. The two-way three-year starter was named All-Virginia Beach as a junior and senior at tight end and at defensive end. Kempsville was District Champions in track, with Teufel leading the way in the shot put indoors and the discus and shot put outdoors. An outstanding student who has taken a variety of honors classes throughout his high school career, Teufel is in the Who's Who of American High School Students. His college options included the Naval Academy as well as West Point.
Tutt is a very talented student-athlete who played for Coach John Shuman at Fork Union Military Academy. He has made the honor roll at Fork Union and is the only player in the past seven years who has thrown a touchdown pass, caught a touchdown pass and run for a touchdown in one game. Tutt went to Essex High School and was a three-sport athlete. He was captain of his football and basketball teams. Tutt was a three-year letterman in football and was the Offensive MVP and Second Team All-State during his senior year. He made First Team All-District and First Team All-Region as a junior and senior. Tutt was also a three-year letterman in basketball and baseball. For three straight years, he received All-District honors in basketball and was the MVP. In baseball, Tutt was the MVP his senior year and also made All-District. He was named the Athlete of the Year at Essex in 1999.
Williams is a tremendous student-athlete who transferred from Western Carolina and played for Coach Jim Hicks. Academically, he was on the Distinguished List during his high school career at Union Pines High School and was a member of the National Honor Society. Williams received the Distinguished Citizenship Award for Moore County in 1999. He was also captain of his football and basketball teams. In football, Williams lettered four years and was All-Conference for his junior and senior years. He also was All-Area and Player of the Year. Williams rushed for 1,800 yards during his senior season and had a career mark of 4,031 rushing yards and 63 touchdowns. He lettered four years in basketball and was All-Conference during his junior and senior years. Williams also lettered in golf and track and ran a 10.84 100-meters.
Wilson excelled in three sports for The Collegiate School and played football for Coach Charlie McFall. He has a very special talent in Art, in which he won the Gold Key Award, which is a regional award. Wilson was captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams. He was MVP of the football team each of the past two years. Wilson was All-League and All-State (Virginia Independent Schools) in the 1999 and 2000 seasons. He was First Team All-Met this year and Second Team All-Met in 1999. In baseball, Wilson was First Team All-Prep in 1998 and 1999 and was Third Team All-Met as a junior.
The Richmond Spiders were 10-3 this past season, setting a school record for victories in a season. Richmond won a share of the Atlantic 10 title and earned a bid to the NCAA I-AA Playoffs. The eighth-seeded Spiders defeated #9 Youngstown State 10-3 in the first round at UR Stadium. Richmond lost in the second round at top-seeded Montana. The Spiders were ranked #6 in the final I-AA poll.
