MIAMI REDHAWK FOOTBALL 2000 SIGNEES LARRY BURT 6-3, 283 Defensive Tackle Warrensville Heights High School Hometown: Warrensville Heights, OH 1999: Second Team All-Ohio, Penn-Ohio Big 33 All-Star game, Team MVP, led team with 15 sacks. Recruited: Eastern Michigan, Akron, Ohio State (some interest) ANDY CAPPER 6-2, 240 Fullback Kenton Ridge High School Hometown: Springfield, OH 1999: 9 games--190 carries, 1,292 yards, 14 TD 3 games of 200+ yards, 8 games of 100+ yards 254 yards and 3 touchdowns versus Urbana Honors: Chosen to play in the Penn-Ohio Big 33 All-Star game All-Ohio; All-Southwest District; All C.B.C.; Springfield News-Sun All-Star Team Career: Holds every rushing record at the school, over 2,500 yards rushing and 3,000 yards total offense, scored 28 rushing TD and 30 total TD, two-time All-Ohio; three-time All-Southwest District, All C.B.C. and Springfield News-Sun All-Star Recruited: Michigan State, Bowling Green Coach: Bruce Schibler ZAC ELCESS 6-5, 260 Offensive Line Centerville High School Hometown: Centerville, OH 1999: Rated the top offensive lineman in Dayton area; dominating and athletic 11-1 (#4 in Ohio); Division I Regional Finalist; W.O.L. Champions Honors: Chosen to play in the Ohio North-South All-Star Game, All-Ohio; All-Southwest District; All-W.O.L.; Dayton Daily News All-Star Team Career: Two-time OHSAA playoffs and W.O.L. Champions; top division I scoring team in Ohio--1998 and 1999 Recruited: Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio Coach: Bob Gregg
BEN HARTINGS 6-4, 240 Offensive Line St. Henry High School Hometown: St. Henry, OH 1999: Rated fifth-best offensive lineman in Ohio Brothers: Jeff--Detroit Lions, Penn State; Joe--Penn State Team: 12-3, Division V State finalists, MAC Runners-Up Honors: All-Ohio, Northwest District Lineman of the Year; All-MAC Career: 1996 State Champions, Four-time OHSAA State Playoffs, Two-time MAC Champions Honors: Two-time All-Ohio, All-Northwest District, All-MAC, Selected to play in Ohio s North-South All-Star Game Major: Business/Accounting Recruited: Penn State, Indiana, Northwestern Coach: Tim Boeckman RYAN HAWK 6-2, 190 Quarterback Centerville High School Hometown: Centerville, OH 1999: 11-1 (#4 in Ohio); Division I Regional Finalist; W.O.L. Champions Honors: Chosen to play in the Ohio North-South All-Star Game, All Ohio; D-I Player of the Year on the Associated Press all-southwest District team; W.O.L. Offensive Player of the Year; Dayton Daily News Player of the Year; Centerville H.S. Team Captain and MVP Passing: 72/106, 1,433 yards, 17 TD, 2 interceptions Rushing: Career: 63/632 yards, 15 TD 34 victories as a starter; two-time OHSAA playoffs and W.O.L. champions; top Division I scoring team in Ohio--1998 and 1999, holds every passing record at the school, three-time All-WOL and team MVP, two-time All-Ohio/All-District and Player of the Year, twice named captain, 263/434, 4,897 yards, 43 TD, 9 interceptions and 236 for 2,162 rushing yards, 38 TD Major: Secondary Education/Coaching Recruited: Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Air Force, Northwestern, Ball State, Ohio Coach: Bob Gregg ALPHONSO HODGE 5-11, 187 DB/RB St. Edward High School Hometown: Cleveland, OH 1999: First-team All-State, First-team All-District, Team MVP, Cleveland Plain Dealer Player of the Week Recruited: Toledo, Western Michigan, Akron MIKE IRITI 6-0, 180 Wide Receiver Findlay High School Hometown: Findlay, OH 1999: Earned first-team Division I All-Ohio honors after catching 101 passes for 1,411 yards and 21 touchdowns, his 21 TD catches are an Ohio High School record, first-team all-toledo Blade, WNWO All-24 team, helped lead Findlay to a 10-2 record, also a first-team Great Lakes League player in basketball and baseball for the Trojans, teammate of Miami recruit Ben Roethlisberger.
TERRELL JONES 5-10, 215 Linebacker Mehlville High School Hometown: St. Louis, MO 1999: 5A (Missouri Big School) State Champion, 5A Missouri Player of the Year; First-team All- State; First-team All-District; First-team All-Metro; First-team All-Suburban West; Defensive Player of the Year--Suburban West; Defensive Player of the Year--District; St. Louis Post- Dispatch Metro Defensive Player of the Year, 92 tackles, 41 assists, 12 sacks, 16 TFL s, 2 fumble recoveries, 8 touchdowns. Recruited: Several Big Ten schools Major: Business VAN MONROE 6-3, 175 SS/Quarterback Euclid High School Hometown: Euclid, Ohio 1999: Broke school single season passing record, led Lake Erie League in passing as a junior, firstteam All-League, first-team All-News Herald, NE All-Grid Iron Team, Team MVP Recruited: Committed after 1999 summer camp to Miami DAVID REHKER 6-5, 308 Offensive Line Avon Lake High School Hometown: Avon Lake, OH Honors: Offensive tackle for Avon Lake s Southwestern Conference championship football team, (school s third consecutive SWC title), all-swc, first-team All-Ohio (Division II), two-time Northeast District, two-time all-lorain County; Cleveland Plain Dealer s Best of the Best seven-county all-star team, Big 33 All Star Game, North/South All-Star Game, Bench 350, Squat 525, Clean 275. Major: Sports medicine Recruited: Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, North Carolina State, Duke, South Carolina Coach: Dave Dlugosz JOSH RICHARDS 6-4, 230 LB/FB Edison High School Hometown: Amsterdam, OH 1999: First-team Div. II All-Ohio, First-team Eastern District, Defensive Player of the Year Eastern District, First-team Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, Defensive Player of the Year Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, First-team Jefferson County, First-team Quad County, 115 tackles, wants to major in theater and eventually become an actor. Recruited: Eastern Michigan, Ohio
BEN ROETHLISBERGER 6-6, 195 Quarterback Findlay High School Hometown: Findlay, OH 1999: Completed 66.1% of his passes (309 of 467) for 4,041 yards and 54 touchdowns yardage and touchdown totals were Ohio High School records, threw eight TD passes against Fremont Ross, which tied a state record, named the Ohio Division I Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press, Toledo Blade Player of the Year, runner-up in Ohio s Mr. Football voting to St. Peter Chanel s Brandon Childress, WNWO All-24 team, Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd, named one of the nation s top 10 quarterbacks by recruiting guru Tom Lemming of Prep Football Report, led Findlay High School to a 10-2 record and a state playoff berth, team, which averaged 43.8 ppg, fell to Grove City in the state playoffs, teammate Mike Iriti (receiver) also has committed to the RedHawks, starting point guard on the Trojans basketball team and starting shortstop on baseball team. Recruited: Ohio State, Duke, Michigan State and several other schools WILL RUEFF 6-4, 265 Defensive Line Trinity High School Hometown: Louisville, KY 1999: 11-2 (#5 in Kentucky); 4A State Semifinalists Honors: Chosen to play in the Kentucky-Tennessee All-Star Game, All-State Defense, Courier-Journal All-Star, All-Jefferson County Stats: 83 tackles, 11 sacks, 17 TFL, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 TD Career: Three-year starter on state powerhouse team, two-time All-Jefferson County, over 200 career tackles, 22 sacks, 28 TFL and 1 TD Recruited: Vanderbilt, Louisville, Indiana Coach: Kevin Wright DWIGHT SMITH 5-10, 170 Defensive Back Chaminade-Julienne High School Hometown: Dayton, OH 1999: 11-3 (#7 in Ohio); Division II State Semifinalists; G.C.L. North Champions, Regional, State and National Champion in track, 40 yard: 4.35, 100 meters: 10.5, 200 meters: 21.5; Versatile player: wide receiver, running back, defensive back and handled all returns Career: All-G.C.L. in football, numerous awards in track Major: Communications Recruited: Pittsburgh, Louisville Coach: Jim Place JEREMY THOMPSON 6-5, 220 Quarterback Avon High School Hometown: Plainfield, IN 1999: A big, strong multi-sport athlete, holds every passing record in the history of Avon High School, four-year starter on the varsity basketball team, AAU summer team made it to the nationals last summer, started in baseball as a freshman, before deciding to concentrate on football and basketball, All-Conference, All-State, Team MVP Recruited: Committed to Miami prior to senior season
PAUL TRIPP 6-0, 180 Cornerback Santa Monica CC Hometown: San Diego, CA 1999: Redshirt sophomore (three for three semesters), graduated spring 1998 from Patrick Henry High School, San Diego, CA (same as former RedHawk Jason Holmes) 1997: First-team Defensive Back--Eastern League Football, San Diego, CA, Alex Spanos All Star Team --San Diego County (South Team), Patrick Henry--Team Award: Best Defensive Back Patrick Henry record 10-1, 40 yard dash: 4.4, Vertical Jump: 36", Bench Press: 285 pounds, college GPA 3.5, enrolled at Miami University spring semester 2000, demonstrates quick feet, great ball awareness and is a great tackler. Coach (HS): Daryl Dotson Coach (JC): Ron Mims Major: Business