Mid-American Conference

MAC Football Players Chase NFL Dreams

04.26.2002

April 26, 2002

A week following the completion of the NFL draft, 20 former football players at MAC schools this past season have signed professional contracts with NFL teams as they chase their dreams of playing professional football.

The list includes Akron's Konrad Dean; Bob Dzvonick and Omari Jordan from Buffalo; new-member UCF's Josh McKibben, Tito Rodriguez, Terrance Williams, Steve Edwards, and Ricot Joseph; Kent State's James Harrison and Dave Pavich; Gregg Kellett and Max Yates from Marshall; Ball State's Corey Parchman and Rachman Crable; Khary Campbell, Ryan Windgrove, Brandon Hicks, and Chris Glantzis from Bowling Green; Eastern Michigan's John Grabowski and Kenny Philpot; Toledo's Todd France and Antwon McCray; plus Ronald Rogers from Western Michigan.

Dean signed a free-agent contract with the Cleveland Browns. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound tackle is scheduled to attend this weekend's minicamp in Berea. NFL.com rated Dean as one of the top 75 offensive linemen coming out of the college ranks this season. In a scouting report they list "Good size and strength, above-average initial quickness, feet and lateral movement" as strengths. The report added that Dean "can be physical and improved a lot and still has upside."

``He's the total package,'' Zips Offensive Line Coach Keith Uecker said. The former NFL standout added ``To be honest, I was surprised he wasn't drafted. I'll be shocked if he doesn't make the team and that's saying a lot. He'll make some personnel guy in Cleveland look like a genius. Someone will get a raise after this one.''

``I'm nervous... and anxious,'' he said ``I just want to taste what NFL football is all about, and I'm excited about the opportunity.''

Dzvonick (Cincinnati Bengals) and Jordan (Baltimore Ravens) were part of a Buffalo defense that finished fourth in the Mid-American Conference in total defense last season and helped the Bulls cut their points allowed from 452 in 2000 to 286 last season.

"We're thrilled that Bobby and Omari are getting what every player hopes for when they start playing football, and that is an opportunity to play in the NFL," said UB head coach Jim Hofher. "It's a goal that not many achieve, and it is a tribute to the work that they have put in to this point that they have this chance. Our staff wishes them all the best as they continue to pursue their dreams."

The newest member of the Mid-American Conference, University of Central Florida (UCF), has had the most free-agent signings of all MAC teams this season, with five: defensive lineman Josh McKibben to the Baltimore Ravens, linebacker Tito Rodriguez to the Cincinnati Bengals, running back Terrance Williams with the Atlanta Falcons, offensive lineman Steve Edwards by the Philadelphia Eagles, and safety Ricot Joseph to the Washington Redskins.

Kent State had two signees; linebacker James Harrison went to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and kicker Dave Pavich signed with the Detroit Lions.

Harrison was named to the 2001 All-Mid-American Conference First Team and finished third in the league's Defensive Player-of-the-Year balloting after leading the Golden Flashes with 98 tackles as a senior. He topped the MAC with 15 quarterback sacks, including five in the season finale against Miami University, and ranked second in the conference with 20 tackles-for-loss. In addition, he made three interceptions on the season, returning one for a touchdown versus Buffalo.

For his career, Pavich hit 35-of-48 field-goal attempts (73 percent) and 79-of-82 career PAT tries (96 percent). He holds the school record for career PATs and is tied for the record for career field goals. Pavich also stands fifth in the KSU record book with 184 career points after leading the team in scoring each of his four seasons.

Marshall tight end Gregg Kellett signed with the Indianapolis Colts and linebacker Max Yates with the Minnesota Vikings.

Kellett is listed as a 6-3, 253-pound running back on the Indianapolis list of free agents. His versatility and ability to play multiple positions was mentioned in a pre-draft scouting report by Pro Football Weekly. As the Marshall tight end last season he made All-MAC first team with 25 receptions for 336 yards.

Yates joins former Herd players Randy Moss, Doug Chapman and Andre O'Neal with the Vikings. The 6-3, 235-pound inside linebacker was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 when he led Marshall 159 total tackles and six quarterback sacks. He played in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

From the newly-realigned for 2002 MAC West Division, Ball State wide-receiver Corey Parchman was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars and Rachman Crable went to the New York Giants. ,p> Parchman played in 10 games and had 12 catches for 194 yards with one touchdown last season. He also had 15 kickoff returns for 465 yards with two touchdowns, including a 100-yard scoring return against nationally ranked Toledo that led the Cardinals to a 24-20 victory. Parchman's other kickoff return for a TD was a 93-yard score at Northern Illinois. He had 33 catches for 441 yards with two touchdowns in his four seasons and registered a 4.25 in the 40-yard dash at Ball State's timing day prior to his senior season.

Crable ranked fifth for the Cardinals in tackles with 56 (35 solos, 21 assists) and tied for team-high honors in tackles for loss with 13. He returned a fumble 67 yards for a touchdown at Eastern Michigan plus added three sacks, nine quarterback hurries and one forced fumble on the season. Crable was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Defensive Player of the Week after helping BSU to a 35-14 win at Eastern Michigan. He tied for seventh in the MAC in tackles for loss last season.

Four Bowling Green Falcons have signed free-agent deals following their final season.

Khary Campbell (Dallas Cowboys) had 299 career tackles and led the Falcons in tackles in each of the past two seasons with 95 in 2000 and 79 in 2001. He was a second-team All-MAC pick in 2001 and led the league in fumble recoveries with five. He had a career-high 17 tackles against Northwestern and had a 45-yard fumble return for a TD against Marshall. He was named the team's Most Valuable Linebacker.

Brandon Hicks (Indianapolis Colts) was the team's MVP this past season after earning fourth-team All-American honors. A first-team All-MAC selection and the MAC Defensive Player of the Year according to the Sporting News, Hicks had 177 career tackles, 20 sacks and 43 TFL's. He had 52 tackles, seven sacks and nine QB hurries in 2001. He also had a 31-yard interception return for a TD against Temple and played in the East-West Shrine Game and the Rotary Gridiron Classic in Florida.

Ryan Wingrove (Atlanta Falcons) was named Most Valuable Defensive Lineman and was a team captain this past year. He had 130 tackles, 14 sacks and 38 tackles for a loss in his career. He had 56 tackles and six sacks as a senior. He had seven tackles and recovered a fumble against Northwestern and also added eight tackles and two sacks against nationally-ranked Toledo. He was a starter in each of the last three seasons.

Chris Glantzis (Detroit Lions) was honored with the Orange Helmet Award for showing the most passion and spirit for football. He helped the Falcons finish third in turnover margin and seventh nationally against the rush and started all 11 games for the MAC's top defensive unit. He finished fourth on the team with 57 tackles, including 13 tackles for a loss and five sacks. He also forced a team-high four fumbles.

Eastern Michigan offensive tackle John Grabowski was signed as a free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals, while teammate Kenny Philpot signed with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League.

Grabowski played in 41 games during his career, including starting 31 straight games over his final three seasons.

Philpot started in 31 of 44 games during his career and completed his career with 357 total tackles, ranking fifth in school history. Philpot led the nation in tackles-for-loss in 2001 with 30 for 76 yards and earned second-team All-Mid-American Conference honors.

Former Toledo kicker Todd France-signed by Minnesota--was a four-time All-MAC selection and is Toledo's all-time leading scorer among kickers with 320 points. He ranks second in UT history with 56 field goals, including a school-record boot of 55 yards. A mechanical engineering major, France was a two-time Academic All-America with the Rockets.

Antwon McCray-signed by the Steelers--played behind Chester Taylor the past three seasons, gaining 1,512 yards in his career. As a senior, he gained 521 yards and scored six touchdowns for the Rockets. His best games included a 120-yard performance in a 38-7 win over Minnesota and a three-touchdown game vs. Ohio in a 48-41 win. He had four 100-yard games in his career at UT.

Western Michigan cornerback Ronald Rogers signed a free-agent contract with the St. Louis Rams. Rogers tallied 41 tackles, including one for a loss, two interceptions and eight pass deflections last season while finishing second in the MAC with four fumble recoveries.

MAC Team	Player	Position	NFL Team
Akron	Konrad Dean	OL	Cleveland Browns
Ball State	Corey Parchman	WR	Jacksonville Jaguars
Ball State	Rachman Crable	DE	New York Giants
Bowling Green	Ryan Windgrove	DE	Atlanta Falcons
Bowling Green	Khary Campbell	LB	Dallas Cowboys
Bowling Green	Chris Glantzis	DE	Detroit Lions
Bowling Green	Brandon Hicks	DT	Indianapolis Colts
Buffalo	Omari Jordan	DT	Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo	Bob Dzvonick	DT	Cincinnati Bengals
Eastern Michigan	John Grabowski	OT	Cincinnati Bengals
Eastern Michigan	Ken Philpot	LB	Detroit Lions
Kent State	Dave Pavich	K	Detroit Lions
Kent State	James Harrison	LB	Pittsburgh Steelers
Marshall	Gregg Kellett	TE	Indianapolis Colts
Marshall	Max Yates	LB	Minnesota Vikings
Toledo	Todd France	K	Minnesota Vikings
Toledo	Antwon McCray	RB	Pittsburgh Steelers
UCF	Terrance Williams	RB	Atlanta Falcons
UCF	Josh McKibben	DL	Baltimore Ravens
UCF	Tito Rodriguez	LB	Cincinnati Bengals
UCF	Steve Edwards	OL	Philadelphia Eagles
UCF	Ricot Joseph	S	Washington Redskins
Western Michigan	Ronald Rogers	CB	St. Louis Rams