TOWSON, Md. –
Members of the Tiger football team will be demonstrating their
athletics skills and show off their potentials when National Football League
scouts visit campus for the Tigers' annual “Pro Day” on Tuesday, March 12
starting at 2:00 p.m.
The Pro Day
activities will begin in the weight room in the Towson Center at 2:00 p.m. From
there, the scouts and players will move to the playing field at Johnny Unitas®
Stadium for additional tests and drills.
A contingent
of eight seniors will receive most of the attention from the NFL scouts.
All-Americans Jordan Dangerfield and Frank Beltre will be getting long looks from
the scouts. A second team All-American safety, Dangerfield was a three-year
starter for the Tigers who made 258 tackles in his career. He was also named to
the All-Colonial Athletic Association first team twice.
A three-year
starter at defensive end, Beltre earned honorable mention All-American notice
as a senior. A three-time All-CAA
selection, he finished his career with 232 tackles, including 38 tackles for
lost yardage and 11 sacks.
Defensive
end Romale Tucker, a four-year starter who
earned third team All-CAA honors as a senior, will also participate. Tucker
made 191 tackles in his career, including 25.5 tackles for lost yardage and 10
sacks. He also forced four fumbles and recovered two in his career.
Defensive tackle Matt Morgan, (right) a three-year starter who was a third team
All-CAA selection as a senior, will also be working out for the pro scouts. Morgan, who played defensive end as a freshman and sophomore, made 30 tackles with three sacks in 2012. In his career, he played in all 45 games with 37 starts. He had 97 tackles and 10.5 sacks.
Dangerfield,
Beltre, Morgan and Tucker were all part of a Tiger defensive unit that lead the CAA by
allowing 313.2 total yards per game.
Scouts will
also be evaluating four offensive standouts from a Towson unit that averaged
31.9 points per game last season. A second team All-CAA selection at
quarterback, Grant Enders was a two-year
starter for the Tigers who led Towson to a 16-6 record and two CAA
championships. In his career, he passed for 4,413 yards and 35 touchdowns with
only 16 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,002 yards in 22 games.
Wide
receivers Tom Ryan and Gerrard Sheppard
are also scheduled to participate. In his
career, Ryan caught 127 passes for 1,528 yards and eight touchdowns. As a
senior, he earned third team All-CAA notice. A transfer from the University of
Connecticut, Sheppard caught 52 passes for 584 and five TD's in his career.
Versatile Cory Kirby will also be evaluated. A three-year
performer for the Tigers, he saw action at tackle, long snapper and tight end
for the Tigers. In his career, he caught 10 passes for 160 yards and two
touchdowns.
“We are very
excited about having a Pro Day with so many teams coming on campus,” says Coach
Rob Ambrose. “This is another indication of the growth of our program. Since
the end of our season, every NFL team has sent someone to campus to look at
film. They know we have players who should be evaluated.”
Beltre, Dangerfield, Enders, Kirby, Ryan, Sheppard and Tucker were key
parts of the dramatic turnaround of Tiger football. In the last two seasons,
Towson posted a 16-7 record, including a 16-4 mark against NCAA FCS opponents.
The Tigers, who won the 2011 CAA championship outright, were CAA co-champions
last year. Towson has a 13-3 record against CAA opponents the last two years