TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Feb. 1) – Florida A&M University (FAMU) announced Wednesday morning their initial group of National Letter of Intent signees for the Rattler Football Program.
Head coach Alex Wood was elated at the signees through the late morning. “We are very pleased with the young men we have signed to join our program. They will help us fill significant needs, particularly along our offensive and defensive fronts, and we anticipate additional signees to bolster our overall depth and athleticism.”
2017 FAMU FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS (1:00 p.m.)
STEVEN JEAN-BAPTISTE OG
6-2 290 Ft. Lauderdale, FL / Chaminade-Madonna HS
@ Played on State Runner-up (2016)… Top 10 rated guard in Florida… All-County, All-Area selection…. Led team in pancake blocks… Was lead blocker for nationally-ranked running back…Had multiple FBS offers.
DONOVAN HOVEY-FRANKLIN OT
6-5 310 Daytona Beach, FL / Warner Christian Academy
@ Two-time All-State (2015, 2016)…. Two-time All-County and All-District…. Team Offensive MVP… Was Team Captain as a junior and senior (2015, 2016)…. Plans to major in Business.
MARTRAVIOUS HARDRICK DT
6-2 266 Panama City, FL / Mosley HS
@ FACA Player of the Year…. All-State, All-District selection… Bay County Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year… Scholar-Athlete Player of the Year… Played in Florida All-Star Game… Team Captain (2016)… Plans to major in Engineering.
CHRIS FADDOUL P/K
6-1 182 Wesley Chapel, FL / Wiregrass Ranch HS
@ Team Captain… First Team Big County Preps Punter (Tampa area)… First Team Pasco County Kicker… Averaged 45 yards per punt, downed nine (9) kicks inside opponents' 20-yard line… 5 of 7 on Field goals (Long of 36)… Had 30 touchbacks in 53 kickoffs (57%)…. Starting quarterback on state playoff team (1,050 yards passing, 9 TDs; 477 yards rushing)…. Also played soccer, tennis… District champion in Long Jump… Father competed for 1972 Lebanese Olympic Team in High Jump and Javelin…. Plans to major in Biology / Pre-Dentistry.
BRYAN CRAWFORD DT
6-2 280 Pahokee FL / Pahokee HS
@ Played on State championship team… Was First Team All-State on Offense and Defense… MVP of the 2015-16 Boys Varsity Basketball team… All-Region Performer in Track and Field… Plans to major in Business.
ELLRIE ALLEN SAF
5-11 200 Wesley Chapel, FL / Wesley Chapel HS
@ Three-year team captain… Two-time Defensive MVP…. Had 73 tackles, 3 INTs as a senior (2016)… Had 227 career tackles, including a school-record 18 solos tackles in one game…. All-County selection… Father played basketball at FAMU and FAMU High School…. Plans to major in Nursing.
LOUIS NEAL DE
6-2 255 St. Petersburg, FL / Dixie Hollins HS
@ Team Captain… 34 tackles, four (4) sacks, six (6) tackles for loss… Plans to major in Criminal Justice.
D.J. PHILLIPS QB
6-3 190 Tallahassee, FL / Rickards HS
@ First team All-Big Bend as a senior (2016)… Second Team All-Big Bend as a junior (2015)… Tallahassee QB Club Offensive Player of the Year (2016)… Passed for 2,635 yards (145 of 243, 60%), 23 TDs, 6 INTs, while rushing for 605 yards (93 carries), 5 TDs as a senior (2016)… Led Rickards to their first district championship in 15 years… Rickards advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the first time in school history.
CHRISIAN ROA TE
6-2 250 Altamonte Springs, FL / Lake Brantley HS
@ Selected for the Central Florida All-Star Game…. Had three (3) receptions for 50 yards, 1 TD… Plans to major in Business.
DOMINIQUE WALKER CB
5-11 183 Brooksville, FL / Central HS
@ Team Captain… First Team All-County… Was a 352 All-Star Selection,,, Had 36 tackles, four (4) pass breakups, one (1) INT, one (1) sack as a senior (2016)…. Totaled 10 QB Sacks and three (3) INTs his junior and senior seasons… Rushed for 1,100 yards as junior before moving to cornerback… Averaged 22 yards per kickoff return… Plans to major in Sports Medicine.
EMMANUEL YISRAEL LB
5-10 205 Riviera Beach, FL / William T. Dwyer HS
@ All-State, All-County, All-Conference selection… Was a 2017 Big Board Top Player…. Had 147 tackles and seven (7) sacks as a senior, along with two (2) INTs and six (6) PBUs…. Was named team Defensive Player of the Year…. Served as Team Captain…. Plans to major in Communications.
DEKOVIN CANN ATH
6-4, 215 St. Petersbugh, FL / Dixie Hollins HS
@ All-Pinellas County (2015, 2016)…. Pinellas County All-Star Game Captain… All-State QB as a junior (2015)… Honorable Mention All-State QB as senior (2016)… Passed for 1,980 yards and 15 TDs, and rushed for 976 yards and five (5) TDs as s senior (2016)…. As a junior, he passed for 2,600 yards and 18 TDs, and added 875 yards and eight (8) TDs rushing (2015)… Had 48 tackles and two (2) INTs as a senior… Made 38 tackles and three (3) INTs as a junior… Plans to major in Education.
LEVON BARNETT DB
6-0 180 West Palm Beach, FL / William T. Dwyer HS
@ First Team All-Conference and All-County… hd 71 solos tackles, seven (7) forced fumbles, with 17 PBUs as a senior (2016)… Also had five (5) INTs, two (2) for TDs, with 194 yards in returns…. Was a three-year starter …. Plans to major in Business.
KYLE JOHNSON FB
6-1 230 Osprey, FL / Venice HS
@ Second Team All-State (Class 7-A) Offensive Lineman… First Team All-Sarasota County… Plans to major in Pharmacy.
ANTAWN “TANK” LEWIS DT/OT
6-4 290 Riviera Beach, FL / Willie T. Dwyer HS
@ Team Captain… First Team All-Conference selection… Had 17 pancake blocks, and graded out at 88% or above in 2016… Had multiple FBS offers including UCF, North Carolina, FAU, Charlotte and Middle Tennessee.
De'MONTRE MOORE DT
6-3 275 Tampa, FL / Robinson HS / Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
@ Had 22 tackles, one forced fumble, one sack, three tackles for loss in junior college… Plans to major in Psychology.
CHRIS JERRY DB
5-9 170 Tallahassee, FL / North Florida Christian HS
@ Honorable Mention All-Big Bend (Football)… Had 56 tackles, five (5) tackles for loss, one (1) INT, nine (9) PBUs…. Averaged 14 yards per punt return… Was a starter for the Florida Team in the Border Wars All-Star Game, where he had three (3) tackles, two (2) PBUs and an INT…. Played on seven (7) district championship teams (Football (4), Baseball (3)… 2nd Team All-Big Bend (Baseball)... He hit .377 as a junior (2016)…. Plans to major in Criminal Justice.
