100 Days Until Kickoff

[PurpleCatFan]

I also hope it is a wake up call if they are healthy. Nothing against Taylor because I think he is very talented and will play a lot of football for the Panthers. It is just that he is a freshman and the other two have more college game experience.

[Born-a-Panther]

15 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#15 is for D.P. Eyman, the 6-1, 175-pound redshirt freshman quarterback from Iowa City, Iowa. Eyman was team camptain at City High and an Iowa City Press-Citizen all-Area QB. He participated in the 2005 Shrine Bowl and led his team to a 9-3 record and the Class 4A playoff semifinals during his year as the starter. Eyman also played basketball and soccer and ran track. He is competing for the backup quarterback role behind Eric Sanders this season. Good luck this fall D.P.!!

[Born-a-Panther]

14 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#14 is for Ben Curran, the 6-0, 185-pound freshman quarterback from Cedar Falls, Iowa. An '06 graduate of CFHS, Curran was a second-team all-state pick as a senior and all-conference selection as a senior, as well. He also earned two-time all-metro honors in basketball and served as team captain of both football and basketball teams. His twin brother, Nate, also is on the football squad, and his cousin, Mark Salmon, played for the Panthers from 1992-1995. Curran also is the newphew of current offensive coordinator, Bill Salmon. Good luck this fall Ben!!

[Born-a-Panther]

13 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#13 is for Patrick Grace, the 6-2, 205-pound redshirt freshman fullback from Sioux City, Iowa. After graduating from Bishop Heelan High School, Grace came to UNI as a quarterback and redshirted the 2005 season. Just this August, Grace has been moved to to the fullback position and will be battling for playing time in his new role. Prior to becoming a Panther, Grace was a Class 4A first team all-state selection and all-conference pick, as well as being honored as a Des Moines Sunday Register Elite Team all-state member. He led Heelan to the second round of the 2004 state playoffs and also played basketball. Grace plans on majoring in criminal justice. Good luck this fall Pat!!

[Born-a-Panther]

12 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#12 is for Eric Sanders, the 6-1, 190-pound junior quarterback from Oelwein, Iowa. Sanders came on the field as a freshman for the Panthers after senior quarterback Tom Petrie went down with an injury and was never able to return. Since then, Sanders has posted a 16-4 mark as a Panther starter. He himself also was injured his sophomore season last year when he suffered an ankle injury in the first half at Missouri State, thus missing the next two games. After returning to the field, Sanders earned second team all-America honors by CollegeSportsReport.com and second team all-Gateway honors. He led the Gateway and was number five in the nation in passing efficiency. Sanders also earned 1-AA.org all-star honors and was named national Offensive Player of the Week by Don Hansen's Football Gazette for his efforts at Texas State. As a freshman in 2004, he played in nine games and started the last seven because of Petrie's injury. He set a school freshman record for passing yards in a season and finished the season ranked third in the nation in passing efficiency and was named Gateway Offensive Player of the Week following the Indiana State game when he threw four touchdown passes. Sanders also was honored as the Gateway Freshman of the Year. He redshirted in 2003 when he walked on to the UNI football team after graduating from Oelwein High School where he also played shortstop and competed on the basketball team. Sanders has been selected as one of five captains for the 2006 season, voted on by his teammates. He is majoring in business. Good luck this fall Eric!!

[pantherclaw]

HEHEHEHEHE, I've been waiting for this one. Sanders has really bulked up, i saw him yesterday in the dining center, and he's really bulked up.

[Born-a-Panther]

11 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#11 is for Marcel Jones, the 6-3, 205-pound redshirt freshman quarterback from the Shakopee, Minn. Before joining the Panthers, Jones redshirted the 2005 season for the University of Minnesota after graduating from Smiley High School. While in high school, he was ranked as the 25th-best pro-style quarterback by Rivals and selected to the SuperPrep Midwest Team, ranked as the 13th-best quarterback. College Football News also ranked Jones as the 36th-best quarterback in the nation. His 8,806 career all-puprpose yards set the Minnesota state record for most yards by a player in high school history. Jones also was an all-conference wrestler. His dad Randy was his high school coach. Good luck this fall Marcel!!

[Born-a-Panther]

10 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#10 is for Chris Parsons, a 6-1, 183-pound junior strong safety from Moore, Okla. and Tim Getting, a 6-5, 205-pound freshman quarterback from Waukee, Iowa.

Parsons started all 15 games last season and tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries with three. He forced and recovered a second-half fumble to help the Panthers to a 24-21 win in the NCAA quarterfinals at No.1-ranked New Hampshire and intercepted a two-point conversion pass by at Texas State in the third quarter of UNI's 40-37 overtime win in the NCAA semifinals. Parsons joined the Panthers in 2004 as a quarterback and saw little action playing behind Tom Petrie and Eic Sanders. He graduated from Moore High School where he led his Class 6A suburban Oklahoma City team into the state semifinals his senior year. Parsons also was a three-year starter and team MVP. He is majoring in physical education and will be the starter for the Panthers at strong safety for the second straight year this season. Good luck this fall Chris!!

Getting is a 2006 graduate of Waukee High School where he was a two-time first-team all-state quarterback selection by the Iowa Newspaper Association. He holds the school record for passing yards in a season and also was a two-time first-team all-Little Hawkeye Conference pick in basketball. Getting was a state qualifier in the high jump and earned three letters each in football, basketball and track. He is majoring in communications. Good luck this fall Tim!!

[Born-a-Panther]

9 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#9 is for Curtis Cooper, the 5-10, 191-pound senior cornerback from Kansas City, Mo. Cooper played in all 15 games last year as a junior and started nine times. He ranked fifth on the team in pass breakups and earned a career-high 14 total tackles in the Panthers' NCAA quarterfinal win at No. 1-ranked New Hampshire. As a sophomore in '04, Cooper played in eight games and started against Missouri State and Indiana State when Dre Dokes was injured. He competed in seven contests as a freshman and tallied five solo tackles and one assisted for the season. At Blue Springs High School, Cooper led his team to an undefeated 13-0 season and state championship his senior year. He also specialized in the hurdles on his track team. Cooper is majoring in physical education and will be the starter at the right cornerback slot this season. Good luck this fall Curtis!!

[Born-a-Panther]

8 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#8 is for Nick Nelson, the 5-11, 193-pound sophomore quarterback from Cedar Falls, Iowa. As a redshirt freshman last season, Nelson played in all 15 games and saw action in three as a backup quarterback, completing 4-of-7 for 50 yards and a touchdown. He also saw a lot of action on special teams, recording seven total tackles. At Cedar Falls High School, Nelson was a three-year starter and two-time co-captain. He is the only CF QB to pass for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons and only the second to pass for at least 2,000 yards in a career. Nelson also earned two letters in baseball, three in wrestling and three in track. His dad is UNI offensive line coach, Rick Nelson. Nelson will most likely be the backup to Eric Sanders this season. Good luck this fall Nick!!

[Born-a-Panther]

7 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#7 is for Araf Evans, a 5-9, 205-pound junior outside linebacker from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Evans saw action in seven games last year as a sophomore, recording eight total tackles. He also played in two games as a freshman in 2004. Evans redshirted in '03 after graduating from Jefferson High School where he was a two-way starter, but was only able to play in five games his senior year due to broken ribs. He was first team all-state in the 4x100 relay and all-conference in the 100m dash, 200m dash and 4x100. Evans is majoring in criminology. Good luck this fall Araf!!

[Born-a-Panther]

6 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#6 is for Victor Williams, the 6-3, 220-pound junior wide receiver from Clewiston, Fla. Prior to coming to UNI, Williams played for Louisberg College where he helped his team to their first winning season. He also was recruited by the University of Miami, North Carolina and Oregon State. Williams was a three-sport star at Clewiston High School, competing in basketball, football and track. Good luck this fall Victor!!

[Born-a-Panther]

5 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#5 is for Albert Daniels, the 5-11, 180-pound junior wide receiver from Brandon, Fla. Prior to becoming a Panther, Daniels was a 2005 all-American at Reedley Junior College in California. He was the Media Player of the Year in '05 and named first team all-California, as well as being a two-time Reedley College offensive MVP. Daniels tallied 84 catches for 1,231 yards and 12 touchdowns this past year. He is a graduate of Tampa Bay Tech High School. Good luck this fall Albert!!

[Born-a-Panther]

4 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#4 is for Johnny Gray, the 5-9, 185-pound wide receiver from Deerfield Beach, Fla. Gray played in 12 of UNI's 15 games last year, and it was Gray who ran a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown at Western Kentucky to help propel the Panthers to the win. He also had a 46-yard punt return in the season-opening 52-17 win over Drake. As a redshirt in 2004, Gray was named the team's offensive scout team player of the year. At Deerfield Beach High school, he played for a team that finished 12-2 his senior year, advancing to the state semifinals. Gray was awarded with first team all-county honors and all-state Class 6A honors. He earned three letters in football and also played basketball. Gray is majoring in business and will be one of the starting wide receivers for the 2006 Panthers. Good luck this fall Johnny!!

[Born-a-Panther]

3 Days Till Kickoff!!!

#3 is for Dre Dokes, the 5-9, 162-pound senior cornerback from Springfield, Mo. As a junior in '05, Dokes was a second team all-Gateway selection and tied for the team lead in interceptions with three. He forced a fumble from Eastern Washington's all-American wide receiver, Eric Kimble, in UNI's win in the first round of the playoffs. As a sophomore, Dokes started in nine games - missing two contests due to an ankle sprain. He earned first team Gateway all-conference and 2nd team all-west Region by Don Hansen honors. 2004 preseason awards included Gateway all-conference, Sports Network all-American second team and 1-AA.org all-American. Dokes started all 13 games as a freshman in '03 and led the team with four interceptions. A graduate of Kickapoo High School, he earned three letters each in football, basketball and track. His football team won the conference title all three years, and Dokes held the school record in the 100m dash and the 4x100. Dokes continues his starting role in 2006 and is tied for seventh on UNI's all-time interception list heading into this year's campaign. Good luck this fall Dre!!