Members of the local sports media gathered Wednesday inside UB's Center for the Arts for head coach Jim Hofher's 2004 National Signing Day Press Conference, where he unveiled the 19 high school seniors to officially accept full academic scholarships in exchange for their gridiron talents.
Hofher began by introducing his assistant coaches and discussing the rigors involved in the recruiting process, saying it was last spring when the detective work began.
"At the end of May last year, I'm guessing that we may have had information on a thousand young men," Hofher said. "The face-to-face contact on their campus begins on or around December first."
This year's signees represent nine states, with just five of the 19 coming from New York. And with only four of the 19 players listed as interior offensive or defensive linemen, Hofher repeatedly stressed the versatility of each recruit and how all of them were multi-sport athletes at the high school level.
"I think the versatility is what is strong about the class," said Hofher. "It's a perimeter weighted class, and that's because of the depth we think we've developed with our team on the offensive and defensive line and tight end area."
With the Bulls graduating just one senior starter on the O-line, Jeff Mills, it's no surprise that this year's class is chock full of speed and athleticism at the skill positions like defensive back and wide receiver. Such is the case for the six-foot, 185 pound identical twins Dwight and Dwayne Reid from Summit High School in Summit, NJ. On film, they resemble what some may liken to Tiki and Ronde Barber as freshman for the University of Virginia.
Scrolling down the list, only one quarterback is accounted for - 6'2", 190 pound Datwan Hemingway from Christian Brothers Academy in Albany. A third team all-state selection for his defensive back skills, Hemingway's leaping and scrambling ability bare comparisons to current UB quarterback P.J. Piskorik. However, on film he appears closer to 6'4" than 6'2", and thus significantly taller than the 6-foot Piskorik.
"Datwan is an exceptional athlete, on a basketball team that is currently undefeated," said Hofher. "He is a terrific athlete ... so were delighted that he's chosen to come to UB."
The only local high school product this year is Lewiston Porter tailback Joe Cerminara, cousin of UB standout wrestler Kyle. At 5'9" and 190 pounds, Cerminara possesses superior quickness, speed and balance. He attended UB's summer camp two consecutive years, where he caught the attention of Hofher and his staff. Of course, rushing for 4,387 yards and 54 touchdowns in his high school career while earning All-State accolades also helped to sway the coaches' decision.
It seems that shorter receivers may be things of the past at UB, as Bryan Kisabeth from Plymouth, MI, and Robert Yealu from Cedar Grove, NJ, bring their 6'3" frames into Western New York this fall. Yealu, who was ranked as the 24th best tight end in the nation by Fab 50 Recruiting, has a realistic goal of high-jumping seven feet this spring. Kisabeth was an All-Detroit hurdler and high jumper as well. Along with Senior Matt Kneuven and Junior Gabe McClover, both 6'1', the wide receiving corps could realistically be one of the Bulls' strengths.
Finally, one other signee that shouldn't go unnoticed is nationally ranked Kicker Gerry McGroarty from Wilkes-Barre, PA. His 64-yard field goal is the longest in state history and the fourth longest in high school football history. He was a Super Prep All-American this past year and appeared on ESPN when Chris Berman aired his 64-yarder as a Top Ten play.
Buffalo's complete list of newcomers with short bios can be found on the UB Athletics homepage at www.buffalobulls.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
