Gage Steele
2012XX DUKES
Fr. – LB – 6-0 – 210 Front Royal, Va./Warren
High School: Was both a running back and outside linebacker at Warren County for Coach Tony Tallent, serving as team captain his final three years... Rushed for 3,514 yards and 41 touchdowns in his career as a running back and recorded 374 career tackles and three sacks... Earned Second-Team Class AA All-State honors from VirginiaPreps.com, First Team All-Region II, Northern Virginia Daily First Team All-Area at linebacker and First-Team All-Evergreen District honors at running back and linebacker after helping Warren County to a 7-4 record... Recorded 103 tackles and six sacks, despite being injured for part of the season, while helping lead the Wildcats to the playoffs for the second year in a row and earning his third Team MVP award... Also rushed for 984 yards and 13 touchdowns on 119 carries (average of 8.3 per carry) his senior season... Ranked No. 81 among the top 100 players in Virginia by the Roanoke Times... As a junior led Warren County to the playoffs for the first time in school’s history, advancing to the Region II Division 3 final and finishing with a 9-4 mark... Recorded 100 tackles in 2010, while rushing for 1,772 yards and 24 touchdowns on 239 carries, earning Class AA All-State Honorable Mention honors from the Virginia High School Coaches Association and All-Region and All-District honors at both running back and linebacker... Also ran track and field during his four years of high school, with a personal best of 11.69 in the 100 meters and 24.47 in the 200 meters while long jumping 21’ 4” and earned one letter in wrestling... Membert of the National Honor Sociel and Academic Letter Winner, as well as the school’s nominee for the Wendy’s Heisman Award.
Lafonte Thourogood
R-Fr. – QB – 6-2 – 230 Virginia Beach, Va. – Ocean Lakes (Vanderbilt)
2012: Transferred to JMU in the summer of 2012 and will have four years of eligibility remaining. Prior to JMU: Spent the 2011-12 academic year at Vanderbilt… Diid not play during his first year on campus... Participated at practice squad quarterback for much of season, before showing promise in closing weeks of practice after switching to running back. High School:. Ranked among Virginia’s top seniors and Rivals.com ranked him as the nation’s No. 25 dual-threat quarterback... Lettered four years and was a multi-year team captain at quarterback for Virginia Beach power... Named to First Team All-Beach District team as senior after, despite injuries, tallying nearly 2,000 total yards and 27 touchdowns... Earned Team MVP honors also his final year… As junior, produced 1,012 passing yards, 812 rushing yards and 23 combined touchdowns... Lettered as sprinter on state champion track squad... Made Honor Roll all four years. Personal: Son of Andre and Kimberly Thourogood... Brother Deon is sophomore wide receiver for Temple Owls.
91 • Cole Trower
R-Fr. – DT – 6-2 – 235 Elkton, Va. – Spotswood (Milford Academy)
2011: Retained the year of eligibility after redshirting. High School: Was a four-year letterwinner and two-year starter for Coach Eric Phillips at Spotswood... Was second in tackles and led the Blazers in sacks as a senior while leading the team to the second round of the playoffs... Earned All-District accolades as a junior after
leading the team in sacks... Was a two-sport athlete, playing USSSA basketball for the VBC Eagles and in 2009 and national champion Norfolk Knights in 2008... At Milford Academy for post-graduate work in fall of 2010, helped Coach Bill Chaplick’s team to a 12-1 record... Was All-State Debate, a member of Student Congress and a two-time winner of the Character Counts essay competition. Personal: Parents are Dickie Trower and Laura Combs... Dad Dickie played football at Miami (Fla.) and went on to play for San Francisco and Washington in the NFL and in the World Football League with champion Birmingham... Cousin Erin Lynn plays collegiate soccer at Louisiana-Lafayette... Plans to major in political science.
14 • Sean Walker
R-So. – WS – 5-11 – 190 Stafford, Va. – North Stafford
2011: Retained the year of eligibility after redshirting. High School: Played defensive back and running back for the Wolverines and Coach Joe Mangano... Was a First Team AllCommonwealth District and Second Team Free Lance-Star All-Area selection his senior year... As a junior led the squad to a 7-4 overall record, 4-3 in the conference and a first-round berth in the state playoffs. Personal: Parents are Scott and Trina Walker…Plans to major in justice studies.
92 • Albert Williams
R-Fr. – WR – 6-4 – 205 Prince George, Va. – Prince George
2011: Retained the year of eligibility after redshirting. High School: Suffered a season-ending injury early in his senior year of football... Was a three-sport standout, also playing basketball and volleyball during high school... Was a threeyear varsity center for the Royals... Was also Honorable Mention All-District in volleyball his junior year. Personal: Parents Albert and Linda Williams… Plans to major in communications.
Kwe’shon Williams Fr. – ATH – 5-10 – 160 Norfolk, Va. – Norview
High School: Played quarterback and cornerback for the Pilots, starting and serving as captain his final three years... As a senior turned the program from winless in 2010 to 6-4 and 5-2 in District play his senior year under new head coach Greg Gibson, just the program’s second winning season in 10 years... Threw for 1,171 yards and 16 touchdowns with a 65% completion percentage his senior year while rushing for 376 yards and four touchdowns... Defensively had three interceptions and two forced fumbles, earning Second Team All-Eastern District his senior year... Ranked in the top 75 players by HamptonRoads.com... Named Team MVP his junior and senior seasons.
Due to time constraints, several players are not included in the biographies. As the information on new players is received, their biographies will be added with the others on JMU’s web site.
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