August 20, 2002

LINEBACKERS CONTINUE TO DRAW PRAISE;
PALADINS GO TO FULL GEAR WEDNESDAY

GREENVILLE -- Despite losing all three starting linebackers to graduation, including a pair of All-Southern Conference performers in Will Bouton and John Thrift, Furman¹s young linebacking corps continued to grab the attention of head coach Bobby Lamb following Tuesday¹s second practice in shorts, pads, and helmets.

"Cedrick Ritter and William Freeman, two of our outside linebackers, had outstanding practices today," said Lamb. "They are two very gifted young men with a lot of talent. Cedrick is obviously ahead because he played a lot last year, but William is coming on strong. They have a lot of the same physical abilities, and they give us options as far as rushing the passer or dropping off.

"I also thought Mike Killian had another good day, as did our two safeties, Paul Billingsly and Cam Newton. They've had great practices the last three days, and they played a lot last year even though they didn't start, so we feel really good about those positions."

Ritter, a product of Fairfax, S.C., racked up 43 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, a pair of sacks, and two interceptions as a freshman a year ago. Freeman, from Swansea, S.C., was redshirted in 2001 and has four years of eligibility left.

Killian, meanwhile, earned starts at defensive end in nine games as a redshirt freshman year ago and totaled 42 sacks and a pair of sacks. Billingsly, a junior, and Newton, a sophomore from Bennettsville, S.C., tallied 36 and 22 tackles, respectively, in 2001.

Another player earning Lamb's praise on Tuesday was senior offensive tackle Steven Cain, a preseason All-Southern Conference pick from Anderson, S.C.

"Steven Cain has been very solid. He¹s been a strong leader for us and has really impressed some people. We¹ve had several pro scouts come by a look at him."

Tuesday's two practices marked the conclusion of the Paladins¹ work in shorts. On Wednesday Furman begins full contact drills with one practice beginning at 9:00 a.m.

"We will scrimmage a little, but mostly have a lot of live out, one-on-one, seven-on-seven, and group drills to get them used to their pads. We'll go for about three hours being that it will be our only practice tomorrow, and we¹ll scrimmage a good bit Thursday."

No significant injuries were reported Tuesday, and the Paladins welcomed the return of tailbacks Hindley Brigham and Brandon Mays, who missed Monday afternoon practice with cramps. Senior wide receiver Bear Rinehart continued to make progress with a mild hamstring strain and is projected to return on Thursday, according to Lamb.

Furman, which returns 11 starters off last year¹s 12-3 team that claimed a share of the Southern Conference championship and finished as NCAA I-AA runner-up, is ranked seventh in the Sports Network Preseason I-AA College Football Poll. The Paladins open their 2002 season at Vanderbilt on Sept. 7.