11/18/09- Ryan Mertz, So, Washburn, 6-6, 228 2009 ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION: Ryan Mertz, So., TE, has been selected All Mid-America Conference Honorable Mention for the 2009 college football season. - Washburn football
11/18/09- Beau Gadwood, Jr, Fort Hays State, 6-3, 260 2009 ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION: Beau Gadwood, Jr., TE, has been selected All Mid-America Conference Honorable Mention for the 2009 college football season. Gadwood, a junior from Shawnee, Kan., picked up his first all-conference selection as an honorable mention pick at tight end. Gadwood ranked fourth on the team in receptions with 26 and accumulated 325 receiving yards. He averaged 12.5 yards per catch and had three touchdowns. - Fort Hays State football
11/17/09- Mike Higgins, Jr, Nebraska-Omaha, 6-5, 242 2009 ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM: TE: Mike Higgins, Jr., Nebraska-Omaha, has been selected All Mid-America Conference First Team for the 2009 college football season. Higgins led the Mavericks with 43 catches for 770 yards and nine touchdowns, all career highs. He was fourth in the MIAA in receptions in league games (8) and fourth in reception yardage per game (72.8). The native of Pickrell, Neb. also ranked in the top ten in the league in receptions per game, yards per catch and total receptions. - Nebraska-Omaha football
11/16/09- Tony Moeaki, rSr, Iowa, 6-3, 252 University of Iowa senior tight end Tony Moeaki has been named a semi-finalist for the 2009 John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. The announcement came Monday from the Nassau County Sports Commission in Manhasset, NY. Moeaki, a 6-4, 250-pounder from Wheaton, IL, joins seven other top collegiate tight ends on the semi-final list. The 2009 John Mackey Award finalists will be announced November 23rd. “The Mackey” winner will be announced at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on December 10th in Orlando, FL. Moeaki has caught 26 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns. He has started eight of Iowa’s 11 games. He sat out three early season games due to injury. He was named Big Ten Player of the Week for his play in Iowa’s 30-28 win over Michigan. He caught six passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns in that contest. He had scoring receptions of 34 and 42 yards. He was also named Mackey Tight End of the Week following the Michigan win. In addition to Moeaki, the other semi-finalists are Dorin Dickerson (Pittsburgh), Ed Dickson (Oregon), Aaron Hernandez (Florida), Anthony McCoy (USC), Dennis Pitta (BYU), Kyle Rudolph (Notre Dame) and Cody Slate (Marshall). The eight semi-finalists were determined by confidential balloting of the John Mackey Selection Committee. - Hawkeye Report
11/10/09- Brody Eldridge, rSr, Oklahoma, 6-5, 265 The Oklahoma Sooners will be without senior guard Brody Eldridge and senior defensive end Auston English for the rest of the season. Coach Bob Stoops said late Monday that neither will return after suffering injuries during Saturday’s 10-3 loss at Nebraska. Eldridge sprained an anterior cruciate during the game while English ruptured a tendon in an ankle. The Sooners have now lost four players to season-ending injuries, including Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford. - AP Sports
11/06/09- Tyshon Gurley, Sr, Fayetteville State, 6-3, 267 2009 ALL-CIAA FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM: TE Tyson Gurley, Fayetteville State, SR, 6'2, 265, Newark, NJ, has been selected Second Team All-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association for the 2009 college football season as voted by the CIAA Sports Information Directors’ Association. Over its last five games, the Broncos' offense is averaging 36.6 points per game. Gurley and RB Calvin Harris have combined for seven touchdowns during that span. - Fayetteville State football
11/05/09- Karvin Gwaltney, Sr, Elizabeth City State, 6-4, 224 2009 ALL-CIAA FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM: TE Karvin Gwaltney, Elizabeth City State, JR, 6'4, 220, Ivor, VA, has been selected First Team All-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association for the 2009 college football season as voted by the CIAA Sports Information Directors’ Association. - CIAA football
11/05/09- Rob Kass, rSr, East Carolina, 6-4, 250 East Carolina safety Dekota Marshall and tight end Rob Kass were injured in the first half against No. 22 Virginia Tech on Thursday night. Marshall was hurt when he took a hard hit near midfield while on punt coverage with about 10 minutes left in the first quarter. Medical staff put a brace on his leg and wheeled him off the field on a stretcher. He wasn’t expected to return. Kass was injured early in the second quarter when he was tackled on a catch and fumbled, then had several players fall on his right leg in the ensuing scramble. Kass was helped off the field, and was soon using crutches with his shoulder pads off and his knee heavily wrapped. - AP Sports
11/04/09- Nate Byham, Sr, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 265 Going into the season, No. 14 Pittsburgh was supposed to have one of the NFL’s best tight end prospects. The Panthers still do, only it’s not the player they expected. Dorin Dickerson, a highly recruited high school player who couldn’t seem to settle into a position at Pitt, has emerged as the nation’s most productive tight end with 32 receptions, nine for touchdowns. He tried wide receiver and linebacker before becoming a tight end. Nate Byham was the first-team all-Big East tight end last season - one scouting service listed him as the top player at his position in college football - but has settled into a role as a blocker and situational player. He has only six catches for 76 yards. Byham has remained a team player despite the drop-off in his production - he had 20 catches last season - and praises offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. for a balanced offense. “I’m very excited about what the team has accomplished overall, but especially on offense,” Byham said. “Our running game is among the best in the country and our passing game is really clicking now, too. And I’ve played an integral part of that success.” - AP Sports
11/04/09- Fendi Onobun, rSr, Houston, 6-6, 249 One of the perks of Chris Burkhalter's job is informing Houston Cougars football players when they receive an honor. Burkhalter, a UH assistant athletic director, got to make one of those calls to tight end Fendi Onobun on Monday afternoon. Conference USA honored Onobun as its Special Teams Player of the Week. “You're kidding,” Onobun blurted. No joke. In his sixth football game since middle school, Onobun used his 38-inch vertical jump to block two extra-point attempts Saturday in a 50-43 victory against Southern Miss. The second block set up a 100-yard return for two points by Nick Saenz. “It was awesome,” Onobun said. “To be able to do something like that, I was just happy to be able to help the team. I just want to help the team win any way I can.” Onobun starred in basketball at Alief Taylor High and played four seasons at Arizona. Intrigued by the possibility of trying to play in the NFL, Onobun came to UH this summer as a football walk-on. Onobun hadn't played in a football game since he was at O'Donnell Middle School. Onobun suffered a setback just before two-a-days started, suffering a high ankle sprain. He began seeing spot special teams duty in the third game. “It was tough to deal with,” Onobun said. “I know my time here is limited. I know I only have one season, one chance, one opportunity at UH. To just get here and get injured like that was disappointing. I just kept my faith. I knew the time I was injured, I could get a lot of mental reps and continue to learn the game.” - Steve Campbell, The Houston Chronicle
11/03/09- Nate Byham, Sr, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 265 Nate Byham has just six catches for 76 yards and no touchdowns in eight games this fall, while fellow tight end and classmate Dorin Dickerson has 32 receptions for 332 yards and an NCAA-best nine receiving touchdowns. But since that hasn't been Byham's only contribution for the University of Pittsburgh (7-1, 4-0) on offense, he had nothing but praises for the Panthers this season. "It started out, coming into the season, I thought I'd get a few more balls thrown my way during my senior year,'' Byham said. "But once it started to progress, I learned my role in this offense. "The offense is different than it was in the past, so my role is different. But I'm very content with it. I feel like I'm doing a great job just doing what they ask me to do in this offense, and that's really all I can do.'' Byham played in 11 games with one start as a freshman in 2006 and caught just two passes for 34 yards, but one went for a touchdown. A scholastic basketball all-star at Franklin, Pa. High School, Byham gained size but maintained his athleticism after a year in the program. His blocking and catches improved considerably to 15 catches for 210 yards and one score as a sophomore. Byham also had a touchdown catch among his 20 grabs for 260 yards last fall, but he'll be hard-pressed to reach those numbers this season, as Dickerson and sophomore sensation Jonathan Baldwin are the top pass-catchers for Pitt. "I'm very excited about what the team has accomplished overall, of course, but especially on offense this season,'' Byham said. "Our running game is among the best in the country, and our passing game is really clicking now, too. And I've played an integral part of that success.'' - Dale Grdnic, Panther Digest
11/02/09- Fendi Onobun, rSr, Houston, 6-6, 249 CONFERENCE USA WEEK 9 SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Playing in just the sixth game of football since middle school, TE Fendi Onubon stepped up at key times in foiling the Southern Miss PAT game. Onobun blocked two extra-points, one in which Nick Saenz returned 100 yards for a two-point defensive conversion, giving UH two points and taking two points away from the Golden Eagles. If Onobun's blocks didn't occur, Southern Miss would have needed just a field goal late in the game to force overtime with Houston. Instead, down by seven, 50-43, USM was forced to go into the end zone on its final three snaps. - C-USA football
10/29/09- Greg Boone, rSr, Virginia Tech, 6-3, 283 SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: After struggling in early tests against Alabama and Nebraska, the Hokies have averaged 34 points in the last four games. While they couldn't generate much push against Georgia Tech's front seven, which was a disappointment, they still found a way to put up points. QB Tyrod Taylor led two late scoring drives with his scrambling and throwing ability, giving the team a chance to win against a tough opponent on the road. PLAYERS TO WATCH: TE Greg Boone - The preseason All-ACC pick has been invisible most of the year, but there's talk that offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring might bring back the "Wild Turkey," Tech's package of plays in which Boone takes the snap. Boone ran it with some success at the end of last season.
10/29/09- Zach Pianalto, Jr, North Carolina, 6-4, 240 WR Joshua Adams (shoulder) has missed the last four games and is questionable for Virginia Tech. TE Ryan Taylor (knee) is out indefinitely. He is practicing on a limited basis. TE Zack Pianalo (foot) returned to action against Florida State for the first time since the second game of the season and sustained a head injury, but he has returned to practice. His status will be determined closer to game time.
10/28/09- Michael Palmer, Sr, Clemson, 6-5, 258 Michael Palmer of Clemson was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission. The Atlantic Coast conference senior recorded five receptions for 74 yards and a go-ahead second quarter touchdown helping Clemson pull off an overtime upset over #8 ranked Miami, 40-37. Other candidates considered for this week's Mackey Tight End of the Week include Cody Slate of Marshall and Joe Halahuni of Oregon State. - TheTigerNet.com
10/27/09- Caz Piurowski, Sr, Florida State, 6-7, 272 Senior TE Caz Piurowski (Land O' Lakes) said he will have surgery Thursday to repair a torn ACL. Piurowski's FSU career came to an end during the Georgia Tech game when he injured his knee. He is hoping to be invited to the NFL Combine in February, when his knee can be examined and his progress observed by NFL scouts and personnel. - Steve Ellis, The Tallahassee Democrat
10/27/09- Nathan Overbay, rSr, Eastern Washington, 6-5, 270 The Eastern Washington University football team will be eligible for postseason play after the NCAA on Tuesday reversed a ban it issued in February. Athletic director Bill Chaves said the decision means the Eagles will be eligible for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, should they qualify. Other penalties issued in February, including the loss of two scholarships and one assistant coach, will remain in effect. The penalties occurred between 2003-07 under former coach Paul Wulff. “We are grateful that our student-athletes, especially our senior class, will have the opportunity to potentially play for a postseason berth,” Chaves said. Eastern is 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Sky Conference, and would likely need to win its final three games to be selected for the playoffs. Eastern plays Saturday in the “Showdown on the Sound” against Portland State at Qwest Field in Seattle. It marks the first time Eastern has played a game in the state’s largest city. “It gives our players hope,” said coach Beau Baldwin. “But we do have to take care of business to give us an opportunity to possibly be selected.” Wulff, now the coach at Washington State, said the post-season ban was not warranted in the first place because it penalized the current players for a series of relatively minor past offenses. “I think that (reversal) brings things back to where it should have been from day one,” Wulff said. The ban was appealed by EWU shortly after it was issued in February. Eastern plays at Southern Utah on Nov. 14 and Northern Arizona on Nov. 21, before the first-round playoff pairings are announced on Nov. 22. Eastern has appeared in the playoffs six times: 1985, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2007. - AP Sports
10/26/09- Colin Peek, rSr, Alabama, 6-5, 255 TE Colin Peek sprained a knee during warm-ups for the Tennessee game when DE Lorenzo Washington accidently fell on him. Peek missed the game, but the severity of the injury was not immediately known.
10/26/09- Weslye Saunders, Jr, South Carolina, 6-5, 280 TE Weslye Saunders played but did not start against Vanderbilt, after aggravating an ankle injury in practice. Justice Cunningham replaced Saunders in the starting lineup.
10/26/09- Jimmy Scheidler, rSr, Bowling Green, 6-4, 255 KEEP ON EYE ON: TE Jimmy Scheidler. He seems to be fully recovered from an ankle injury suffered earlier this season. He made five receptions for 40 yards against Central Michigan, giving Bowling Green another option in the middle of the field.
10/26/09- Zach Pianalto, Jr, North Carolina, 6-4, 240 TE Zack Pianalto, who had not played since the second game of the season after injuring his foot celebrating a touchdown catch, made his first appearance since then but sustained a head injury in the first quarter and didn't return.
10/24/09- Michael Palmer, Sr, Clemson, 6-5, 258 Clemson tight end Michael Palmer suffered a concussion early in the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ 40-37 overtime win over Miami. Palmer was woozy, but was flying home with his team, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said. Palmer, “doesn’t remember anything, but he knows we won,” Swinney said after the game. Palmer finished with five catches for 74 yards, including a juggling 15-yard touchdown late in the first half for Clemson’s first score of the game. - AP Sports
10/22/09- Zach Pianalto, Jr, North Carolina, 6-4, 240 TE Zack Pianalto (foot), injured in the fourth quarter of the second game of the season, remains questionable for the Florida State game. WR Josh Adams (shoulder) has missed the last three games and also is considered questionable in the early injury report.
10/20/09- Anthony McCoy, Sr, Southern Cal, 6-5, 252 10/20/09 NFL DRAFT SCOUT RISER: Anthony McCoy, TE, Southern California: Before the season, few expected McCoy to post numbers like he did against Notre Dame: five catches for 153 yards (30.6 yards per reception). Although not the quickest tight end in the country, McCoy proved himself fast enough to do more than just move the chains by leaping up to catch a tall pass down the seam, getting his 6-5, 252-pound body moving fast enough to get behind linebackers. He also carried multiple Irish defenders on his back on one reception. But his blocking both on the line and on the edge against linebackers and defensive backs may impress NFL folks even more, as he sprung receivers like junior Damian Williams for long gains by negating defensive backs downfield. That sort of all-around game makes him the most likely candidate to challenge Oklahoma's injured Jermaine Gresham as the top senior tight end prospect. - Chad Reuter, The Sports Xchange, NFLDraftScout.com
10/19/09- Brandon Barden, rSo, Vanderbilt, 6-5, 245 GAME BALL GOES TO: TE Brandon Barden finished with five catches for 49 yards and the Commodores' only touchdown vs. Georgia.
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