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July 21, 2011

JUNIOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Next stop — The Valley

TVCC scoring series of recruiting coups as highly-ranked prospects sign

Jayson Larson The Athens Review

ATHENS — As the 2011 football season nears, the Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals keep adding weapons to their arsenal.

Even after head coach Brad Smiley and his staff reeled in a solid recruiting class, the Cardinals have continued to add players with ties to a handful of major Division I college programs.

Among those players are three who, at one point, were slated to play — or did play — for Big 12 schools.

One name that has generated possibly the most buzz is Quincy Russell, who had signed a Letter of Intent with the University of Texas. Earlier this month, the San Antonio Express-News reported that Russell failed to qualify academically.

Though the paper reported that Russell — a 6-3, 289-pound defensive lineman — was being pursued by the likes of national champion Navarro, Tyler and Cisco, Russell opted to come to Athens.

TVCC has also landed Jermichael Selders, who had committed to West Virginia before signing with Baylor. He is a 5-11, 180-pound running back.

Javius Townsend, a 6-3, 276-pound offensive lineman from Dallas Madison, played at Oklahoma State last season before transferring to TVCC. He was considered one of the top 100 football prospects in the country coming out of high school.

“To be honest, it’s all about players,” Smiley said. “You win ballgames with good players, and this is three Big 12 guys coming in here. Obviously there’s a certain expectation level, and it’s up to them to come in here and prove themselves. They’ve still got a lot to prove.”

Russell, Selders and Townsend will be joined on the Cardinal roster by a number of other players who have ties to Division I schools. Others include linebacker Jacoby Thomas, safety Dele Junaid and offensive lineman Nate Richards.

Big-time connections

Here’s a look at several TVCC football players who have ties or have played for major Division I colleges:

Transfers

Player    position    DI school

Jacoby Thomas    LB    Kansas

Dele Junaid    S    Ole Miss

Javius Townsend    OL    Okla. State

Nate Richards    C    Central Ark.

Others

Quincy Russell    DL    Texas

Jermichael Selders    RB    Baylor

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