TicketsMay 4, 2012
CINCINNATI -
The University of Cincinnati football team started its offseason conditioning program this week after wrapping up spring football on April 24, 2012. Below are some recent news and notes, including Head Coach Butch Jones being named the top coach in the BIG EAST Conference by Sporting News.
JONES NAMED TOP COACH IN BIG EAST BY SPORTING NEWS
- Sporting News college football writers Matt Hayes and Steve Greenberg named UC Head Coach Butch Jones as the top coach in the BIG EAST Conference.
- Jones, in his third year at UC, led the Bearcats to a 10-3 season in 2011, including a BIG EAST Conference and AutoZone Liberty Bowl Championship. He was named the 2011 BIG EAST Football Coach of the Year.
- On Jones, an NFL scout is quoted as saying: "He can coach. He was one of those guys a few years ago where you just knew big things were coming his way. He's not done, either. Not by a long shot."
- Read the full article HERE.
HAMPSHIRE HONOR SOCIETY
- Former UC standouts Alex Hoffman (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) and J.K. Schaffer (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) were named to the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society this week. The NFF team is comprised of senior college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career. A total of 721 players from 232 schools qualified for membership in the society's sixth year, marking this year's class as the largest since the program's creation in 2007.
NFL FREE AGENT NEWS
- In addition to UC's four NFL draft selections Derek Wolfe (Denver), Isaiah Pead (St. Louis), John Hughes (Cleveland) and Adrien Robinson (NY Giants), seven additional members of the class of 2012 will get a shot to further their football careers in the NFL.
- Quarterback Zach Collaros (Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville) signed a free-agent deal with Tampa Bay, Schaffer inked a contract with Jacksonville, defensive lineman Monte Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif./Washington/El Camino CC) signed with Seattle and wide receiver D.J. Woods (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville) was picked up by Tennessee.
- Defensive back Reuben Haley (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mt. Healthy) and long snapper Tom DeTemple (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) will have tryouts with the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, and offensive lineman Randy Martinez (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) was invited to the New York Jets minicamp.
- Former UC signal caller Tony Pike, who was drafted in 2009 by the Carolina Panthers, has recovered from elbow surgery and will also try out for the Bengals. See the story HERE.