February 6, 2004

FURMAN FOOTBALL ADDS SHRINE BOWL KICKER
TO 2004 RECRUITING CLASS

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman head football coach Bobby Lamb announced today the signing of Shrine Bowl placekicker Scott Beckler to a national letter-of-intent.

Becker, a 6-2, 180-pound product of T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson, S.C., becomes the 15th signee for Furman, which on Wednesday announced 14 recruits had inked national letters-of-intent. Counting junior quarterback Ingle Martin, who transferred into the Paladin program in January following three seasons at the University of Florida, Furman's 2004 recruiting class now features 16 players.

"We're certainly glad to add a quality kicker like Scott Beckler to this year's class," said Lamb Friday afternoon. "We graduate the greatest kicker in Furman history this spring in All-American Danny Marshall (SoCon career record 312 points), so this was obviously a big need for us. We like Scott's ability and strong leg and believe he could have a positive impact on our program starting next fall."

As a senior at T.L. Hanna, he earned High School Sports Report and South Carolina Pigskin Prep first team all-state honors as a punter and placekicker after booting 65-of-75 kickoffs into the end zone, connecting 5-of-12 field goals and 63-of-64 PATs, and averaging 38.0 yards per punt. He was also named AAAA all-region and to the Anderson Independent-Mail all-area team and South Carolina Shrine Bowl squad after helping his squad to an 11-2 record and into the state playoffs.

In 2002, his junior year, he converted 6-of-8 field goal opportunities and drilled 78 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone for a Hanna squad that posted an 11-2 record. In addition to football, Beckler also started for four seasons as a member of Hanna's soccer program and was a member to two state championship club soccer squads.

Furman, which opens spring practice on March 8, returns 20 starters off its 2003 squad, which posted a 6-5 record and led the Southern Conference in scoring defense (14.1 ppg), total defense (272.5 ypg), passing defense (132.5 ypg), and passing efficiency defense (97.5 rating).

2004 FURMAN FOOTBALL SIGNEES

Masharn Austin, CB, 5-9, 180, Fr., Lawrenceville, Ga./Buford H.S.
Scott Beckler, 6-2, 180, Fr., Anderson, S.C./T.L. Hanna H.S.
Joel Bell, OT, 6-7, 261, Fr., Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg H.S.
Keith Boykins, LB, 6-0, 230, Fr., Fayetteville, Ga./Lovejoy H.S.
Jerome Felton, FB, 6-0, 240, Fr., Madisonville, Tenn./Sequoyah H.S.
Andrew Jones, LB, 5-11, 220, Fr., Birmingham, Ala./Minor H.S.
Brantley Kendall, FB, 5-10, 203, Fr., Senoia, Ga./East Coweta H.S.
Jay Jay Mars, DE, 6-2, 240, Fr., Stone Mountain, Ga./Dunwoody H.S.
*Ingle Martin, QB, 6-3, 220, Jr., Nashville, Tenn./University of Florida
David Menocal, C, 6-3, 255, Fr., Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville H.S.
William Middleton, CB, 5-10, 189, Fr., Atlanta, Ga./Marist H.S.
Essex Taylor, DL, 6-3, 290, Fr., Stokesdale, N.C./Northwest Guilford H.S.
Paul White, LB, 6-2, 206, Fr., Yemassee, S.C./Battery Creek H.S.
Arthur Williams, QB, 6-1, 175, Fr., Monroe, Ga./George Walton Academy
Brandon Williams, LB, 6-1, 212, Fr., Tucker, Ga./Lakeside H.S.
Hugh Williamson, DE, 6-5, 210, Fr., Monroe, Ga./George Walton Academy

* Enrolled at Furman in January