Feb. 6, 2002

How did other ACC schools do on Signing Day?

Clemson	North Carolina
Duke	N.C. State
Florida State	Virginia
Georgia Tech	Wake Forest
Maryland	TheACC.com

Winston-Salem, NC - Twenty prep standouts have signed National Letters of Intent to play football at Wake Forest University, announced Wednesday by Jim Grobe, head coach of the Demon Deacon program.

"I like this class," said Grobe. "These players really stand out, character-wise. I enjoyed getting to know them and I think they'll not only be really fine football players, but they'll fit in well at Wake Forest."

Coach Grobe quotes from signing day press conference

Parade All-American Bryan Andrews, a linebacker from Lima (OH) High School, headlines the highly-touted class. Andrews, an athletic player who totaled 95 tackles during his senior season, becomes the first Parade All-American to sign with Wake Forest since wide receiver James Brim in 1984.

Members of the 2002 signing class hail from 11 different states, including four who have elected to stay in their home state of North Carolina. A pair of Northern Durham High School standouts - strong safety/outside linebacker James Adams and free safety Josh Gattis - have both joined the Demon Deacon program. Other North Carolina signees include offensive lineman Dustin Abercrombie from A.L. Brown HS in Kannapolis, and defensive lineman Jamil Smith from Black Mountain's Owen HS.

Coach Grobe and his staff, spearheaded by recruiting coordinator Ray McCartney, have filled needs at nearly every position on the field, signing four offensive lineman, four linebackers (three of which can also play other defensive positions), three defensive lineman, two quarterbacks, two wide receivers, two defensive backs, a running back, a fullback/tight end and an athlete.

"I think this is a really solid class and has filled a lot of needs," Grobe said. "It's pretty balanced, as I feel we've done a good job accounting for every position. This signing class will serve as a foundation class for the future of our program."

This fall, these 20 signees will join 38 returning letterwinners - including 17 starters - from a team that finished 6-5 in Grobe's first season at the helm of the program. The 2002 Wake Forest football season begins Thursday, Aug. 29 at Northern Illinois.

2002 Wake Forest Football Signees

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown	High School
Dustin Abercrombie	OL	6-3	280	Kannapolis, NC	A.L. Brown
James Adams	SS/OLB	6-3	208	Durham, NC	Northern Durham
Bryan Andrews	LB	6-6	225	Lima, OH	Lima
Chris Barclay	RB	5-10	170	Louisville, KY	Louisville Male
Dan Callahan	OL	6-3	275	Montclair, NJ	Montclair
Christopher Davis	WR	5-11	185	St. Petersburg, FL	Gibbs
Pierre Easley	NG/LB	6-0	230	Stone Mountain, GA	Marist
Josh Gattis	FS	6-2	180	Durham, NC	Northern Durham
Patrick Ghee	SS/OLB	6-2	210	Kingsport, TN	Dobyns-Bennett
Willie Idlette	ATH	5-10	160	Chattanooga, TN	Baylor
Arby Jones	OL	6-5	258	Somerset, KY	Pulaski Southwestern
Damon McWhite	FB/TE	6-2	230	Woodbury, NJ	West Deptford
Nate Morton	QB	6-3	200	Harlingen, TX	Hargrave Military
Daniel Orlebar	DL	6-4	285	Sterling, VA	DeMatha Catholic
Jamil Smith	DL	6-4	275	Black Mountain, NC	Charles Owen
Riley Swanson	CB	5-10	170	Fayetteville, GA	Sandy Creek
Napoleon Sykes	WR	5-10	180	Woodstock, MD	Gilman
Zac Taylor	QB	6-3	180	Norman, OK	Norman
Jyles Tucker	DL	6-4	245	Dover, NJ	Morristown Beard
Steve Vallos	OL	6-3	285	Youngstown, OH	Boardman

DUSTIN ABERCROMBIE
OL * 6-3 * 280 * Kannapolis, NC * A.L. Brown HS
Led the A.L. Brown Wonders to an 11-3 record and third round of the playoffs in 2001 ... recorded 95 knockdown blocks during his senior campaign ... named to the 2001 North Piedmont All-Conference team and all-county teams ... received the Golden Helmet Award for Most Outstanding Lineman on his team ... coached by Ron Massey, who was a former teammate of WFU recruiting coordinator Ray McCartney at Guilford College in Greensboro ... also a forward on A.L. Brown's basketball team ... threw shot put and discus on the track and field team for four years ... very motivated athlete as well as an academically strong student ... served as Student Body President ... member of the National Honor Society ... also recruited by Duke, Vanderbilt, Wofford and some Ivy League schools ... born April 29, 1984 ... son of Danny Abercrombie and Terry Stowers.
A.L Brown coach Ron Massey: "We are extremely excited about Dustin going to play at Wake Forest. He has been an outstanding student athlete at A.L. Brown. We are excited at the direction the Wake program is heading and hope we will contribute."

JAMES ADAMS
SS/OLB * 6-3 * 208 * Durham, NC * Northern Durham HS
Didn't touch a football until his sophomore year ... made 65 tackles and intercepted seven passes as a junior ... played in all 14 games his senior season, totaling 115 tackles, 10 pass break-ups and five interceptions ... blocked three kicks and scored three times on defense ... helped Northern Durham post an 11-3 record in 2001, advancing to the third round of the playoffs before losing to eventual state champions, Independence ... named to the all-conference, all-area and all-region teams his senior year ... coached by Gary Merrill, who was a former teammate of WFU recruiting coordinator Ray McCartney at Guilford College in Greensboro ... also a standout performer on Northern Durham's track team ... runs a 4.5 40 ... ranks 12th in the country in the indoor 500 meters ... finished fifth in the state in the 400 meters as a junior and is a favorite to win the event this season ... qualified for the Nike Indoor Classic for track ... chose WFU over NC State, Clemson and Duke ... Northern Durham high school teammate Josh Gattis is a fellow Wake Forest signee this year ... born August 29, 1984 ... son of LaTanya Adams.
Northern Durham coach Gary Merrill: "James was one of our best team leaders, just a great kid. He will be a perfect fit for Wake Forest. He was a great player as a free safety and will be even better at linebacker."

BRYAN ANDREWS
LB * 6-6 * 225 * Lima, OH * Lima HS
A nationally-recognized recruit who was offered scholarships by schools in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East conferences ... finished the season as a 2001 Parade All-American, ranking as one of the top eight linebackers in the country ... is Wake Forest's first Parade All-American since 1984 ... named to the Associated Press All-Ohio first team as a junior and senior ... rated the 26th best linebacker in the nation and 11th best prospect in Ohio by Rivals100 ... was named the district Defensive Player of the Year ... totaled 95 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss and five sacks during his senior year ... played one snap on offense, catching a 52-yard touchdown pass ... has been invited to play in the North-South and Big 33 all-star games ... coached by Matt Kemper ... very athletic player who runs a 4.6 40 and has a 28-inch vertical leap ... also plays basketball for Lima HS, currently averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds a game ... earned All-Northwest District honors as a junior ... attended same high school as WFU assistant coach Jeff Mullen ... born May 5, 1983 ... son of Julie McGill.
Lima coach Matt Kemper: "Bryan has a lot of physical tools and brings a great work ethic to the table. He will be a big factor in keeping the success at Wake Forest going. Bryan is a perfect fit at Wake and in the ACC."

CHRIS BARCLAY
RB * 5-10 * 170 * Louisville, KY * Male HS
Led Male High School to a Kentucky 4A state championship as a junior and a second place finish as a senior ... an all-purpose back for the Bulldogs who rushed 125 times for 935 yards and caught 52 passes for 621 yards as a senior ... accounted for 22 touchdowns ... returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the state championship game as a senior ... a three-year starter, he finished his career with 2,820 yards rushing and 36 touchdowns ... named first -team all-city ... invited to play in the Kentucky-Tennessee All-Star Game ... coached by Bob Redman ... owns 4.4 speed in the 40 ... finished third in the 100 and 200 meters in the 2001 Kentucky state championships ... chose Wake Forest over Boston College and Louisville ... born Oct. 15, 1983 ... his parents are Larry and Gladys Barclay.
Male coach Bob Redman: "Three players in the last five years from Male High School have entered the NFL, and Chris is in this category. Although small in stature, he may be the best player to have played here."

DAN CALLAHAN
OL * 6-3 * 275 * Montclair, NJ * Montclair HS
Good speed for a lineman, running the 40-yard dash in five seconds flat ... a three-year starter ... helped lead team to an 11-1 record his senior season ... played in the state championship game three straight years while at Montclair HS ... also saw some action as a defensive end, tallying 14 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and three pass breakups ... named to the Newark Star-Ledger all-state first team ... a two-time All-Essex County selection ... bench presses 300 pounds ...played for coach Ed Lebida at Montclair ... picked Wake Forest over Rutgers and Arizona ... hails from the same high school as former Deacon wide receiver Ira Williams and current women's basketball player Bianca Brown ... born May 11, 1984 ... son of Neil and Kathe Callahan.

CHRISTOPHER DAVIS
WR * 5-11 * 185 * St. Petersburg, FL * Gibbs HS
Caught 39 passes as a senior for 789 yards and 11 touchdowns ... returned two punts for touchdowns ... coached by Alvin Davis at Gibbs HS ... a two-way player in the Pinellas County All-Star game ... a speedy player who runs a 10.53 100, a 21.6 200 and went to the state championships in the 4x100 meters as a junior ... born Dec. 1, 1983 ... son of Annette and Barry Brown.

PIERRE EASLEY
NG/LB * 6-0 * 230 * Stone Mountain, GA * Marist HS
Compiled 45 tackles and eight sacks and two fumble recoveries as a nose guard his senior year ... a three-year starter under coach Alan Chadwick ... earned first team all-county honors ... helped team to a 9-2 record and an appearance in the second round of the state playoffs ... a team captain who earned the Coaches' Award ... owns the school's indoor 60 meter record ... benches 365, squats 585 and cleans 285 ... owns a 4.5 speed in the 40 ... selected Wake Forest over Boston College, Georgia, North Carolina and Rice ... born Nov. 19, 1982 ... son of Patsy Easley.
Marist coach Alan Chadwick: "Pierre has been an impact player for us for four years. He's an outstanding player with great athleticism. He won our big hitter award for the last two years and was chosen team captain this past year. He plays with great heart and great intensity."

JOSH GATTIS
FS * 6-2 * 180 * Durham, NC * Northern Durham HS
Tallied 110 tackles and one interception as a junior ... ranked as the 15th best preseason prospect in North Carolina by SuperPrep ... played in only eight games as a senior due to an ankle injury ... totaled 65 tackles, seven pass breakups, five interceptions and a blocked punt in eight games ... Northern Durham went 11-3 in 2001, advancing as far as the third round of playoffs before falling to eventual state champions, Independence ... named to the all-conference, all-area and all-state teams after his senior campaign ... a preseason honorable mention All-America by Tom Lemming Report ... invited to participate in the East-West All-Star game ... coached by Gary Merrill, who was a former teammate of WFU recruiting coordinator Ray McCartney at Guilford College in Greensboro ... also ran track, recording a meet time of 14.1 in the 110 high hurdles ... owns tremendous speed, clocking in a 10.5 in the 100 meters ... ranks seventh nationally in 55 meter indoor sprint ... is the favorite to finish first in state outdoor 110 high hurdles this spring ... was an all-state selection and conference runner of the year ... chose WFU over NC State and East Carolina ... Northern Durham high school teammate James Adams is a fellow Wake Forest signee this year ... born on Jan. 15, 1984 ... son of Joyce Gattis.
Northern Durham coach Gary Merrill: "Josh was the most athletic and fastest player on our team. He helped us win 11 games and advance to the third round of playoffs. He will be a great addition to Wake Forest's defense."

PATRICK GHEE
SS/OLB * 6-2 * 210 * Kingsport, TN * Dobyns-Bennett HS
Rated by Rivals100 as the 91st-best prep linebacker in the country ... named first team all-conference, first team All-East Tennessee ... also an honorable mention all-state selection ... owns 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash ... made 84 tackles as a senior with 10 TFLs, four sacks, two forced fumbles and one recovery ... led Dobyns-Bennett to a 12-2 finish in the 5A classification ... a versatile player who saw action at defensive line, running back and wide receiver for the Indians, averaging nearly eight yards per carry ... also caught six passes for 185 yards four touchdowns ... invited to play in the Tennessee-Georgia All-Star Game ... owns a 33-inch vertical leap ... coached by Graham Clark ... also played baseball in high school ... chose Wake Forest over Stanford and Duke ... born May 5, 1984 ... parents are Wayne and Carol Ghee.
Dobyns-Bennett coach Graham Clark: "Patrick was an outstanding football player for us. He played numerous positions, and is very unselfish. He moved on defense from linebacker to defensive end and played three positions on offense He has great speed for a kid his size and is extremely intelligent. I needed a translator to talk to him. We are tickled he is coming to an up and coming program like WFU."

WILLIE IDLETTE
ATH * 5-10 * 160 * Chattanooga, TN * Baylor HS
An outstanding all-around athlete who played defensive back and quarterback in football, point guard in basketball and was a standout performer on the track team ... rushed for 2,846 yards, passed for 667 yards and was responsible for 39 touchdowns in two seasons at quarterback ... a two-time all-state selection and finalist for Mr. Football in Tennessee ... coached by David Bibee ... clocked with 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash ... was the Tennessee state champion in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and was runner-up in the triple jump, long jump and decathlon ... set school records in both the long jump and triple jump ... a three-year starter in basketball, leading the team in assists and steals ... chose Wake Forest over Duke, Memphis and Middle Tennessee State ... born March 3, 1984 ... parents are Willie and Angela Idlette.
Baylor coach David Bibee: "He's a great person, great athlete going to a great school. It should be a perfect marriage."

ARBY JONES
OL * 6-5 * 258 * Somerset, KY * Pulaski Southwestern HS
A two-time second team all-state selection on both the offensive and defensive line ... an all-region and all-district honoree as a junior and a senior ... named the district offensive lineman of the year ... a three-year starter on both lines for Pulaski Southwestern ... owns 4.85 speed in the 40 ... possesses outstanding footwork and quickness ... set a single season record with 13 sacks as a senior ... also recorded 98 tackles, nine for loss and two forced fumbles ... coached by Dale Anderson ... chose Wake Forest over Miami of Ohio, Toledo and Purdue ... born July 23, 1983 ... parents are Buddy and Karen Jones.

DAMON MCWHITE
FB/TE * 6-2 * 230 * Woodbury, NJ * West Deptford HS
Two-year starter for West Deptford ... rushed for a school record 1,304 yards and scored 13 touchdowns during his senior year as fullback ... also played defensive end junior year and led the team in sacks ... tallied 42 tackles and returned a fumble for a touchdown ... owns a 4.8 speed in the 40 ... helped lead team to a combined record of 25-6 over three seasons ... all-state selection by Gannett News ... earned all-conference honors as both a running back and at defensive end ... also named All-Gloucester County and All-South Jersey ... coached by Clyde Folsom ... a two-year starter on the basketball team ... picked Wake Forest over Iowa and Illinois ... born April 17, 1984 ... son of Kimberly Scott.
West Deptford coach Clyde Folsom: "Our administration and athletic department at West Deptford High School are very proud that Damon selected WFU to further his education and athletic career. The standards Damon set at West Deptford both academically and athletically will hopefully be something our underclassmen will strive to uphold."

NATE MORTON
QB * 6-3 * 200 * Harlingen, TX * Hargrave Military Academy
A talented quarterback prospect who enrolled at Wake Forest in January... is eligible to participate in spring practice... a good athlete with a strong arm... runs well, owning 4.5 speed... completed 63-of-108 passes last season at Hargrave... passed for 1,074 yards and eight touchdowns... also rushed for 150 yards... coached at Hargrave Academy by Lonnie Messick.... previously played at Harlingen High School... an outstanding student who earned a 4.0 grade-point average as a high school senior... a member of the National Honor Society ... ranked seventh academically in a class of 500 ... chose Wake Forest over SMU, Rice and others ... born Sept. 2, 1982 ... son of Tom and Stephanie Morton.

DANIEL ORLEBAR
DL * 6-4 * 285 * Sterling, VA * DeMatha Catholic HS
Led DeMatha Catholic to an 11-0 season and won the Catholic League championship ... played offensive guard as well as defensive lineman for DeMatha Catholic ... as a senior notched 85 tackles and five sacks ... All-Metro selection on the offensive side by The Washington Post ... named to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference first team defense ... named to the 2001 all-county defensive first team by the Star/Gazette newspaper ... named to the Prince George's County All-Metro offense by The Journal newspaper ... named to the AP All-State first team for his defensive play ... consensus all-state first team selection on defense ... NBC Channel 4 news/George Michael's "Elite 11" defensive team ... strongest player in DeMatha school history with total weight of 1,630 pounds in four lifts ... rated as the No. 14 defensive player in Maryland By SuperPrep ... selected Wake Forest over Maryland, Pittsburgh and others ... will join his older brother, Arthur, a redshirt freshman defensive end at WFU ... born Jan. 20, 1984 ... son of Arthur, Sr. and Beverly Orlebar.
DeMatha Catholic coach Bill McGregor: "Daniel was a tremendous player for us who played a 100 snaps a game offensively and defensively. He was a co-captain for the DeMatha Catholic HS undefeated team. He has great work ethic and will be an excellent player at the next level."

JAMIL SMITH
DL * 6-4 * 275 * Black Mountain, NC * Charles Owen HS
A four-year starter at Owen, seeing action on both sides of the ball ... tallied 82 tackles and 16 tackles-for-loss as a senior defensive end ... recorded 238 total tackles, 41 tackles for loss, seven sacks and five fumble recoveries during his prep career ... also saw action on offense, helping the Owen ground game accumulate 2,304 yards ... selected the 2001 Lineman of the Year by the Asheville Citizen-Times ... played in the 2001 Shrine Bowl ... named to the All-Western North Carolina and Western Highlands All-Conference teams three times ... tallied 82 tackles, recorded one sack and had 16 tackles-for-loss as a senior ... also had two fumble recoveries and five quarterback pressures ... coached by Kenny Ford ... also wrestled for Owen, compiling a 51-3 record as a junior ... was the 2001 West Regional heavyweight champion and finished fifth in the state ... also competed in the shot put and discus events, owning the school record in discus ... a 2001 Wendy's High School Heisman nominee ... a North Carolina scholar athlete ... won the 2001 National Citizenship Award ... hails from the same high school as Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson ... selected Wake Forest over South Carolina and Duke ... born Nov. 23, 1983 ... son of Carol and Fred Clayton.
Charles Owen coach Kenny Ford: "Jamil is one of the finest student athletes we have ever had play here at Owen High School. He was an outstanding athlete, student and team leader for us. We are thrilled he is going to an up-and-coming program like Wake Forest. We truly believe Jim Grobe and his staff will be highly successful there."

RILEY SWANSON
CB * 5-10 * 170 * Fayetteville, GA * Sandy Creek HS
Named one of the preseason top 11 seniors in Georgia by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ... tallied 63 tackles and four sacks ... finished his career with 17 interceptions ... a three-year starter ... a named to the All Coweta/Fayette County team ... tabbed a Class AAAA all-state selection ... coached by Rodney Walker at Sandy Creek ... selected Wake Forest over Kentucky and Mississippi ... born April 20, 1984 ... son of Riley, Sr. and Jean Swanson.
Sandy Creek coach Rodney Walker: "Riley has had a great three year career with us. He was all-state this year, a great leader and voted defensive team captain by his teammates. He was career leading interceptor at Sandy Creek. He will have a great career at Wake Forest."

NAPOLEON SYKES
WR * 5-10 * 180 * Woodstock, MD * Gilman HS
Two-time all-state defensive back for Gilman High ... two-time first-team all-metro selection in the Baltimore area ... two-time all-county selection ... named to the 2001 Tom Lemming/ESPN All-Atlantic Coast team ... also selected to the All-Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association team two years ... played for coach Biff Poggi at Gilman High ... runs a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash ... primarily used as a defensive back for the Greyhounds ... tremendous field vision and cutback abilities ... broke up nine passes and had two interceptions senior year ... had 22 receptions for 313 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver senior year ... led team in kickoff returns and punt returns senior year ... used as a field goal kicker as well ... chose Wake Forest over Maryland and Northwestern ... born Oct. 25, 1983 ... son of Napoleon, Sr. and Brenda Sykes.
Gilman coach Biff Poggi: "We are really pleased Napoleon is coming to Wake Forest University. It's a wonderful school. You are getting a fantastic human being and a wonderful football player."

ZAC TAYLOR
QB * 6-3 * 180 * Norman, OK * Norman HS
Threw for 1,950 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior at Norman High... compiled similar statistics as a junior... SuperPrep magazine ranked him as the No. 41 prospect in the Midlands Area... coached at Norman High School by Butch Peters... named first team all-district and all-conference ... rated a Blue Chip Top 10 in the state of Oklahoma... owns 12 school records, including career passing yards and career touchdowns ... chose Wake Forest over Oklahoma State ... born May 10, 1983 ... son of Sherwood and Julie Taylor.
Norman coach Butch Peters: "Zac is really a coach on the field who understands the game and what the defense is trying to do to stop the offense. He's a great leader, one of htose kids you can tell to do someting once and it's done. He's a very coachable player."

JYLES TUCKER
DL * 6-4 * 245 * Dover, NJ * Morristown Beard HS
Great combination of size, speed, attitude and talent ... rated 14th-best senior in New Jersey in SuperPrep's preseason rankings ... four-year starter at Morristown Beard, playing defensive end and quarterback ... suffered an injury four games into his senior season, tearing his medial-collateral ligament in his right knee, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season ... injury did not require surgery and has fully healed ... accumulated 60 tackles and returned three fumble recoveries for touchdowns before injury ... passed for seven touchdowns and more than 350 yards ... ran for six touchdowns and more than 300 yards at quarterback ... caught 16 passes for 500 yards and seven touchdowns junior year ... clocked at 4.58-seconds in the 40 ... bench presses over 300 pounds ... named to New Jersey's all-prep school team ... recorded 128 tackles, 22 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and forced three fumbles as a junior ... played for coach Jim Eagan ... also a four-year starter for the basketball team, averaging 19 points and around 11 rebounds per game at small forward ... competed on the track team during the spring ... was conference champion in the shot put and threw the discus 140 feet ... chose Wake Forest over Michigan State, Maryland and Purdue ... born Sept. 18, 1983 ... son of Gerald and Karen Ratliff.

STEVE VALLOS
OL * 6-3 * 285 * Youngstown, OH * Boardman HS
Enjoyed a standout prep career in Ohio... was named all-conference and all-district... named honorable mention all-state by The Associated Press... has 5.2 speed... helped lead Boardman to an 8-3 record in Ohio's big-schools division and a spot in the state playoffs... coached at Boardman by Garry Smith... chosen to play in the state's North-South all-star game and in the prestigious Big 33 all-star game... a first team all-conference and northeast Ohio selection... also participated on the track team at Boardman in the shot put and discus ... finished third in the state in discus as a junior ... an outstanding prep wrestler who is currently 20-0 with 14 pins during his senior campaign ... is ranked as the No. 3 heavyweight in the state... compiled a 31-6 record and finished eighth in the state as a junior... chose Wake Forest over West Virginia, Navy and several Mid-American Conference schools, including nationally-ranked Toledo ... born Dec. 28, 1983 ... son of Bill and Susan Vallos.
Boardman coach Garry Smith: "One of the best lineman to come out of Boardman High School. He is a three-sport kid who was a state finalist in track and football. Just a special player - the kind that only comes along so often."