Ohio Football Signs Nine in 2001 Signing Class
Contact: Heather Czeczok, 740-593-1299 or sports.media@ohio.edu
ATHENS, Ohio (February 7, 2001) -- Ohio football coach Brian Knorr announced that nine student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Bobcat football team in 2001. This year's class includes four recruits from Ohio, two from North Carolina and one each from Florida, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Knorr, who became Ohio's 27th head coach in December, expressed his pleasure with his first signing class. "I'm very excited about the 2001 recruiting class. With just a few scholarships available, we focused our recruiting on our areas of need -- the defensive secondary and
providing depth at our skill positions.
"I would also like to commend our assistants. They came in and gave a hard effort in recommitting our early commitments to our program and completed the class with players to solidify our needs for the future."
The Bobcat recruiting class of nine matches the number of lettermen lost from the 2000 season. Ohio returns 42 of the 51 lettermen from last season's 7-4 squad. The Bobcats finished 5-3 in the MAC to post their fifth-straight winning record in conference action.
2001 Ohio Football Signees
Darrick Bell TB/S; 6-2; 185; Cleveland Heights, Ohio; St.
Peter Chanel HS
A two-time all-state safety ... also earned All-Northcoast League and all-district honors twice ... team MVP in 2000 posting 30 tackles and a school-record seven interceptions ... also rushed for 1000 yards and 21 touchdowns last season ... grabbed 13 interceptions and tallied 60 tackles in his career ... helped team finish as 2000 Division V State Runner-Up ... earned four letters in football and three in basketball .... played for the 1999 Chanel boys basketball state championship team that finished 20-0 ... member of Respect All Cultures Equally (R.A.C.E) .... son of Darrick Bell and Valerie Harrison ... coached by Jeff Rotsky.
John Bolden DB; 6-0; 185; West Palm Beach, Fla.; Palm
Beach Lakes HS
A Palm Beach County All-Star ... played in the Outback Steakhouse Senior All-Star Game for the North team ... first-team all-conference as selected by the Palm Beach County Coaches Association ... as a senior, tallied 24 solo tackles ... grabbed three interceptions while shutting down opposing receivers, allowing the receivers he defended to catch less than 25 percent of their intended passes ... also averaged 25 yards per kickoff return ... also competes in track & field ... an honor roll and pre-law magnet student ... son of John and Maxine Bolden .... coached by Brian Coe.
Dion Byrum DB/RB; 5-11; 170; Matthews, N.C.; Monroe HS
A two-time all-conference and all-county performer playing on offense and defense ... As a senior, rushed for 1,972 yards and 25 TDs on 244 carries and grabbed 29 receptions for 515 yards and eight scores ... Also picked off seven passes on defense ... team finished second in the Rocky River Conference in 2000 after finishing as RRC champions and ranked 12th in 1999 ... voted team's Most Improved as a junior and then Team MVP last season ... earned three letters each in football, basketball and track ... member of the Varsity Club and Key Club ... son of Tony and Charrise Byrum ... coached by Bobby Cloninger.
John (Chip) Cox, Jr. DB/RB; 6-0; 175; Columbus, Ohio;
Beechcroft HS
Team's leading tackler with 87 stops ... posted five PBU, three interceptions, seven tackles for loss and four fumble recoveries, while causing three fumbles ... also averaged 12 yards per carry with six rushing touchdowns ... earned first-team all-city and all-district honors as well as special mention all-state recognition ... led team to a 9-2 record ... a three-year letterman in both football and track ... a second-degree blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do ... son of John and Doreen Cox .... coached by Tom Dunlap.
Tyson Graham LB/FB/TE; 6-3; 215; Gastonia, N.C.; North Gaston HS
A two-time all-county linebacker ... all-conference as a senior after posting 82 solo tackles and five sacks ... also forced nine fumbles and recovered four fumbles last season ... in his career, tallied 218 solo tackles with seven interceptions, 13 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and seven recovered fumbles ... led team to a 7-4 mark last season with a playoff appearance and a second-place finish in the conference ... earned three letters each in football and baseball ... an all-conference pitcher earning team MVP honors in 2000 ... an honor roll student and member of the Beta Club ... son of Michael and Wanda Graham ... will be the first in his family to go to college ... coached by Bruce Clark.
Matthew Miller P; 6-1; 185; Westerville, Ohio; Westerville North HS
First-team all-state in both football and soccer as a senior ... in his only season as a punter, averaged 42.4 yards per punt on the season, including a 51.7 average in the second half of the year ... also first-team All-Ohio Prep, All-Metro, All-Central District and All-OCC selection ... booted over 50 percent of his kickoffs into the endzone .... second all-time in school's punting average ... team captain and MVP as a senior in soccer, playing all four seasons ... also competes in track and was a regional finalist in the 4x100 ... volunteer with Meals on Wheels ... son of Greg and Mary Miller ... coached by Bob Cavin.
Mike Nelson OL/DE; 6-2; 305; Sinking Spring, Pa.; Wilson HS
A first-team All-Bucks County and All-Lancaster/Lebanon player on both offense and defense ... topped 100 tackles in his career ... helped squad to a pair of conference championships ... team captain ... an honor roll student who was named to the All-Academic Team ... earned three letters in football, two in track and one in wrestling ... son of Michael, Sr. and Josephine Nelson ... coached by Jim Cantafio.
Isiah (Ike) Simmons FB/DE; 6-2; 210; Gallipolis, Ohio;
Gallia Academy
Rushed for over 1,100 yards as a senior, better than 6.8 yards per carry ... the team's MVP, he was a special mention all-state performer .... all-league and All-Southeast District in both football and track .... helped squad to a state playoff appearance and a second-place finish in the league (SEOAL) ... son of Baron and Oline Haner ... coached by Brent Saunders.
Shane Yates OL; 6-2; 280; Martinez, Ga.; Evans HS
A two-time first-team all-area pick as offensive and defensive lineman .... named Metro Player of the Year after earning first-team all-state honors on offense as a senior ... posted 103 knockdowns and 110 tackles last season ... received team's Golden Helmet Award and Captains' Award .... helped team to second round of state playoffs and an 8-4 record in 2000 ... participant in Beta Club, Interact Club and Young Life ... earned four letters in football and one in track ... son or Stan and Jeanette Yates ... coached by Jim Connor.
