2011 UConn Football Media Guide

Page 77

Student-Athlete P r o f i l e s #

the Michigan game (Sept. 4). High School: Named to the Central Massachusetts All-Stars for Division 1C … Had 71 tackles as a senior in 2009 with five sacks … rushed for 769 yards and 10 touchdowns and also passed for 126 yards … as a junior, passed for 726 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 724 yards and six TDs … two-time pick to Worcester Telegram & Gazette Super Team … Three-time Division I all-star and two-time Division I Defensive MVP … Also played basketball … Attended same high school as former Husky center Keith Gray … Two-year captain. Personal Profile: Yawin Alexander Smallwood … Born on December 25, 1991 … A pre-kinesiology major.

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Senior Tailback 5-11, 219 Corona, Calif. USC

D.J. Shoemate Will look to hold the No. 1 tailback spot this year after making his Husky debut in 2010…Played immediately after transferring from USC…Was the leading rusher in the 2011 spring game with 19 carries for 110 yards and a TD. 2010: Transfer in 2010 from USC who was eligible immediately … Had 16 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo (Sept. 25) … Had two receptions for 12 yards against Temple (Sept. 18) … Also saw more time on special teams as season progressed and made two tackles vs. Cincinnati (Nov. 27). 2009: Served as a backup fullback at USC and played on special teams as a sophomore … Played in 12 games and had two carries for two yards, two catches for 23 yards with a TD and four tackles … Caught two passes for 23 yards (including a 13-yard TD), had a two-yard run and made a tackle against San Jose State. 2008: Began season as a reserve wide receiver, then was moved mid-season to a reserve fullback spot … Also played on special teams … Appeared in nine games and made one tackle. High School: Earned ESPN 150 honors as a senior and was named Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and was the Trinity League Co-Offensive MVP … In his senior year, he ran for 1,291 yards on 241 carries with 24 TDs … Shoemate also caught 40 passes for 570 yards with 4 TDs … As a sophomore in 2005, he made the All-CIF Division I first team, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and was the All-Serra League Co-MVP while rushing for 604 yards on 71 carries with 13 touchdowns, catching 46 passes for 930 yards with eight TDs and getting four scores on blocked punts … High school teammate of current Husky Johnny McEntee. Personal Profile: Dennis Shoemate, Jr. … Born on January 1, 1990 … A precommunications major. Year GP-GS 2010

13-1

ATT YDS TD 28

115

1

AVG 4.1

REC 2

YDS TD 12

0

D.J. SHOEMATE’S CAREER HIGHS (UCONN) Most Carries, game: 16, vs. Buffalo, 9/25/10 Most Rush Yards, game: 60, vs. Buffalo, 9/25/10 Longest Run: 28, vs. Texas Southern, 9/11/10

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33

RS Freshman Linebacker 6-2, 229 Worcester, Mass. Doherty

Yawin Smallwood

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41

RS Freshman Linebacker 6-2, 221 Coral Springs, Fla. J.P. Taravella

Brandon Steg Redshirt freshman who will compete for playing time at linebacker. 2010: Redshirted … Named the Defensive Scout Player of the Week before the Buffalo (Sept. 25) and Syracuse (Nov. 20) games … Also named the Special Teams Scout Player of the Week before the Michigan game (Sept. 4). High School: Played in the Miami-Dade County vs. Broward County All-Star Game … also played in the Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl in Honolulu … Named second team all-county … Team captain. Personal Profile: Brandon Michael Steg … Born on October 11, 1991 … A sociology major.

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59

RS Sophomore Defensive Tackle 6-5, 315 Brookville, N.Y. Long Island Lutheran

Shamar Stephen Made his presence felt last year as he made his collegiate debut after redshirting in 2009…Saw action in all 13 games with eight starts. 2010: Made his first collegiate start in the third game of the season against Temple (Sept. 18) … Was a regular member of the defensive front rotation all season … Started five-straight games beginning with the Temple contest and then also started vs. Pittsburgh (Nov. 11) and Syracuse (Nov. 20) … Had a career-high five tackles in win over USF (Dec. 4) to conclude the regular season … Also had four tackles against Temple … Had two sacks on the season – one against Texas Southern (Sept. 11) and the other vs. Vanderbilt (Oct. 2). 2009: Redshirted … Was named the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week before the North Carolina (Sept. 12), West Virginia (Oct. 24) and Syracuse (Nov. 28) games. High School: Had 57 tackles in senior year with 12 sacks … Had two blocked field goals … Team captain … Team went 7-2 in senior year … Also played basketball … First Team All-American Lutheran Team.

Redshirt freshman who will look for his first collegiate playing time this season at linkebacker. 2010: Redshirted … Named the Defensive Scout Player of the Week before

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