July 1, 1998
GREENVILLE -- Furman University linebacker Orlando Ruff has been named by The Sporting News to its NCAA I-AA Pre-Season All-America team and the Southern Conference's Defensive Player-of-the-Year in the magazine's annual pre-season football issue.
A Winnsboro, S.C., native and product of Fairfield Central High School, the 6-foot-2, 255-pound Ruff heads into the 1998 season as Furman's seventh all-time leading tackler with 391 stops. A three-year starter, Ruff tallied 140 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, and three interceptions on a Furman squad that posted a 7-4 record a year ago. He is a two-time All-Southern Conference selection and 1998 team co-captain.
In addition to Ruff's selection, Furman center Mark Foster and strong safety John Keith were named to The Sporting News' pre-season All-Southern Conference team. Foster, a Williamston, S.C. (Palmetto High School) product, earned conference honors after posting the highest blocking percentage of any Paladin lineman a year ago. Keith, meanwhile, tallied 85 tackles and a league leading four interceptions, including a school record 99-yard return for a touchdown in the Paladins' 43-21 win over Chattanooga. Keith is a native of Newnan, Ga. (East Coweta High School).
Furman, which returns 13 starters and 39 lettermen, opens its 1998 season
against Clemson on Sept. 5.