August 30, 1997
GREENVILLE -- Furman University head football coach Bobby Johnson announced today that Kenya Fouch, a 6-foot-3, 253-pound tight end who last year joined the Paladins' program in the pre-season only to be declared ineligible less than a week later, has returned to school and has been cleared to play immediately.
"This is a tribute to Kenya and his determination to get an education at Furman and be a part of our football program," Johnson said Saturday afternoon following the Paladins' practice. "He went to Middle Georgia Junior College, took the courses he needed to take and, with the guidance of our athletic academic advisor Dan Brinkman, gained the needed credits to transfer to Furman. Returning here was important to him, and he's achieved his goal. I think that says a lot about him."
Fouch, a native of Hartwell, Ga., began his collegiate career at Georgia Tech, where he played sparingly as a true freshman in 1994 before sustaining torn cartilage in his left knee in pre-season practice. Redshirted for the 1995 season, he originally joined the Furman program last fall, but less than a week into pre-season practice was ruled ineligible after it was determined he lacked the number of credit hours needed to maintain athletic eligibility. He then left Furman and enrolled at Middle Georgia Junior College in Cochran, Ga., where he spent the 1996-97 academic year. He has two years of athletic eligibility remaining.
"We are obviously happy to have Kenya join our team," Johnson added. "He is a talented player who gives us depth at tight end. He's a little behind at the moment because he joined us so late in pre-season practice, but we will work him into the position and into playing time as soon as possible."
Fouch is expected to eventually contend with sophomore Michael Owings for the starting job at tight end, where the Paladins lost All-America performer Luther Broughton to graduation this past spring.
Furman opens its 1997 season next Thursday against Samford in Birmingham.