The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Football Signs Trio Of Junior College Standouts
12/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 19, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- A pair of junior college All-Americans and a standout JUCO defensive tackle prospect with family ties to UAB have signed letters-of-intent to join the Blazers, according to an announcement Friday by UAB head coach Watson Brown.
Quarterback Chad Wilmott and defensive tackle Clarence Respress were members of the Butler County Community College team that won the junior college national championship earlier this month. Offensive lineman Tommie Keyes won all-state and all-region honors at Jones County (Miss.) Junior College.
All three signees are scheduled to enroll at UAB in January for spring semester classes and will participate in the Blazers' spring practice drills that will begin in March.
"These are three great additions to our team," said Brown. "All three have done outstanding jobs in junior college and we feel like they will be assets to our program. We're excited about all three of them."
Wilmott, a 6-4, 215-pound product of Wichita, Kansas, earned first-team NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) honors this past season while leading Butler to a 12-0 season and the 2003 national title. He threw for 2,284 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing 163-of-308 passes with only eight interceptions.
Wilmott was named the Kansas Jayhawk Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year this past season and was tabbed the most valuable player of the NJCAA national championship game as Butler defeated Dixie State (Utah) College, 14-10.
Respress, a Butler teammate of Wilmott and the brother of current UAB defensive lineman Earnest Respress, also has signed with the Blazers. Respress, from Barnesville, Ga., was named first-team All-Jayhawk Conference as he registered 50 overall tackles with 12.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Respress also recorded one blocked kick during the 2003 season.
Keyes, the third JUCO signee, was named a second-team NJCAA All-American after his outstanding season at Jones County. He was recently listed among the state of Mississippi's top junior college prospects by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
