July 25, 2002

SEVEN PALADINS IN NFL TRAINING CAMPS

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Seven former Furman Paladins, including a pair of rookies, are on active National Football League (NFL) rosters as teams begin preseason practice in preparation for the upcoming season.

Furman football alumni currently in NFL training camps include tight end Luther Broughton '97 (Chicago Bears), linebacker Orlando Ruff '99 (San Diego Chargers), safety John Keith '00 (San Francisco 49ers), wide receiver Desmond Kitchings '00 (Indianapolis Colts), offensive guard Josh Moore '01 (Philadelphia Eagles), linebacker Will Bouton '02 (Pittsburgh Steelers), and tight end Trent Sansbury '02 (Cincinnati Bengals).

"It's a testament to the quality of football we play here at Furman and in the Southern Conference that we have that many former players in NFL camps," said first-year Paladin head coach Bobby Lamb on Thursday. "We're proud of all of our football alumni, and we are particularly pleased that our players now with NFL teams are all graduates. They were challenged here academically and athletically, and they responded with great individual careers and team success."

Luther Broughton, an All-America tight end and Furman¹s career leader in receptions (123), was a fifth round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997. A product of Huger, S.C. (Cainhoy H.S.), he spent the 1998 with the Carolina Panthers before being traded back to Philadelphia, where in 1999 and 2000 he caught 38 passes for 399 yards and four touchdowns. Re-signed by the Panthers prior to the 2001 season, he inked a two-year contract with the Chicago Bears earlier this year.

Furman All-America linebacker Orlando Ruff, who ranks fourth on Furman's career tackles chart with 469 stops, begins his fourth year in the NFL after signing as a rookie free agent with the San Diego Chargers in 1999. Named the Chargers¹ Special Teams Player-of-the-Year in his first year, in 2001 the Winnsboro, S.C. (Fairfield Central H.S.), product started in all 16 games at middle linebacker and totaled 74 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery, and five pass deflections.

John Keith, a consensus All-America choice as a Paladin free safety in 1999, was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2000 draft. Entering his third season of professional football, Keith is attempting a comeback after sustaining knee ligament damage on the opening kickoff in the first game of the 2001 season versus Atlanta. In his rookie year in 2000, the Newnan, Ga. (East Coweta H.S.), native earned starts in three games and tallied 18 tackles, a sack, and an interception in six games before sustaining a broken arm in an overtime loss to Oakland.

Des Kitchings, who enjoyed an All-America Furman career as both a wide receiver (112 rec., 11 TDs) and return specialist, was a seventh round draft choice of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2000. Signed off the Chiefs¹ practice roster by the New York Jets late 2000 but later released, he was signed to the Indianapolis Colts practice squad in November 2001. He is a native of Wagner, S.C. (Wagner-Salley H.S.).

All-America and Southern Conference Jacobs Blocking Award winning tackle Josh Moore signed as a rookie free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2001. Released by the Eagles prior to the start of the season, he was later re-signed by Philadelphia and allocated to Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, where the Cross Hill, S.C. (Thornwell School), product helped lead his team to the World Bowl X in June.

Greenville, S.C. (Greenville H.S.), native Will Bouton signed a rookie free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this year after completing an All-America career in 2001. A two-time Southern Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Year selection and All-America selection as a senior, he earned starts in a school record 50 games at linebacker and finished his Furman tenure ranked fifth on the school¹s all-time tackles chart with 445 stops.

Tight end Trent Sansbury, a three-time All-Southern Conference choice, signed as a rookie free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals this spring. As a senior Sansbury caught a team leading 36 passes for 479 yards and two touchdowns in helping lead Furman to a 13-2 record, conference championship, and NCAA I-AA runner-up finish. He is a native of Lilburn, Ga (Parkview H.S.).