Bowie State football: Doing more with less

DAMON WILSON
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

BOWIE, Maryland  -  The annual ritual of National Signing Day arrived on February 1, complete with a deluge of coverage on the Internet and ESPN, and school assemblies where the future stars of college football announced their choices.

Beyond the ESPN spotlight and under the radar, Bowie State University football coach Damon Wilson and his staff quietly went about their business last week, putting the finishing touches on the NCAA Division II school’s latest recruiting class. For small colleges like Bowie State, signing day is a low-profile event. Like a struggling business trying to navigate a difficult economy, Bowie State’s football program seeks to do more with less as it competes for players in a region that has increasingly become a recruiting hotbed.

Football fans are quick to rank high school players by a simplistic conventional wisdom: All-state players go the BCS schools, all-county players go the mid-majors and to I-AA programs, and the rest are left to Division II coaches such as Wilson. But the Bowie State coach doesn’t subscribe to that mentality.

READ MORE

BULLDOGS FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES 2012 SIGNEES

BOWIE, Maryland  -  Bowie State University head football coach Damon Wilson announced the signing of 13 recruits to the program with the arrival of National Signing Day.

• Jared Johnston – QB, 6-2, 190, ASA Junior College Team – Team Record: 4-4.



• Reuben Harris, Jr. – DL, 5-9, 245, Friendship HS, Washington, DC - Team Record: 9-1.  VIDEO

• Jordan Davis – DL/OL, 6-3, 250, Friendship HS, Washington, DC - Team Record: 9-1.  VIDEO

• Keith Davis – DB, 6-3, 190, Friendship HS, Washington, DC - Team Record: 9-1, Top 10 DB's in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV), 3 year varsity letterman, 35 tackles senior year,  VIDEO

• Andrew Thompson – DB, 6-3, 190, Wise HS, Upper Marlboro, MD - Team Record: 9-2. 



• Andreas Antone-Ford – DL, 6-3, 310, Wise HS, Upper Marlboro, MD - Team Record: 9-2, 1st Team All-State Lineman, 1st Team All-County Coaches Team, All-State Honorable Mention, Prince Georges County All-Star Team, Three-year Varsity Starter, Three-time Varsity Letterman, 31 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

• Brandon McDowell – OL, 6-4, 300, Quince Orchard HS, Gaithersburg, MD - Team Record: 13-1. VIDEO

• Jamal Chappell – WR, 5-9, 180, Poly HS, Baltimore, MD - Team Record: 11-1, Top 100 players in the State, No. 11 WR in the State, Three-year varsity starter, Two-time City Championships, More than 1,000 All-Purpose Yards and 15 TD's.



• Jordan Garrison – WR, 6-2, 205, Poly HS, Baltimore, MD - Team Record: 11-1, 2009 Rookie of the Year, 2010 Best Athlete Award, 2011 Team MVP, Two-time City Championships.



• Nyema Washington – QB, 6-2, 185, Suitland HS, Forestville, MD - Team Record: 10-2, 2010 Co-pgsportsfan.com Player of the Year, 2010-2nd team All-Gazette, 2010-2nd team All-County, 2010 All-Met Honorable Mention, 2010 All-State Third Team, 2011 All-County First Team, 2011 All-Gazette First Team, 2011 ESPN High School All-State Honorable Mention, 2,046 yards (school single season record), No. 1 Passer (Yards) in Prince George's County, No. 11 Passer in DMV, No. 8 Passer (Yards) in State of Maryland with least amount of passing attempts 179, 2011 PG vs. SMAC All-Star Game participant, 2011 Maryland Crab Bowl participant, 2011 Sempter Fidelis U.S. Marine Bowl Invitee.



• Britton Savoy – DB, 5-10, 180, McNamara HS, Forestville, MD - Team Record: 3-6, 2 Td's, 4 INT's, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 86 solo tackles, 113 total tackles.



• Christopher Palmer – K, 6-2, 245, Chopticon HS, St. Mary's, MD - Team Record: 7-4, All Conference (SMAC) Special Teams (Kicker), Punter/Kicker Representing SMAC in the SMAC/PG Chick-Fil-A Senior Bowl Held December 10, 2011 at Bowie State University First Team All-County Kicker, Air Force Player of the Game (10/28/2011 vs. Lackey), Maryland “Minds in Motion” Recipient (Athletes with a Minimum of 3.25 GPA), First Team All-County Kicker (2010), 39 Punts (38 Yard Average / 54 Yard Long), 13 Punts Inside 20, 44 Kickoffs (53 Yard Average) / 7 Touchbacks, 25/25 PAT.



• Garry Cropper - WR, 5-10, 165, Arundel HS, Arundel, MD - Team Record 9-2.



COURTESY: BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION