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March 15, 2012

2012 Spring Practice Schedule

Bronx, N.Y. -

Fordham University head football coach Joe Moorhead announced the 2012 spring practice schedule today which will culminate with the 2012 Spring Game on Saturday, April 28th, at 11:00 a.m. on Murphy Field.

The Rams will kick off the spring practice schedule on Wednesday, March 22nd, at 9:00 a.m. It will be the first of 15 practice sessions allowed by the NCAA in the spring.

Fordham will practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings with the exception of April 6th through 9th, when Fordham is off for Easter Break.

Coaches interested in attending practice should contact Andrew Warsaw, Director of Football Operations, at 718-817-4289 or awarsaw@fordham.edu.

The Rams enter spring practice looking to fill holes on both sides of the ball. On offense, Fordham loses four starters, including two on the offensive line, while the Rams will be also looking to replace four graduated starters on defense.

On offense, the Rams return two quarterbacks who started games last year, led by Ryan Higgins, who started the final seven games on 2011. He completed 151 of 263 passes for 1,788 yards and seven touchdowns. Peter Maetzold started the first four games of the year, completing 70 of 117 passes for 668 yards and four touchdowns on the season.

In the offensive backfield, Fordham lost 2011 leading rusher Darryl Whiting to graduation but return Langston Lacroix, the team's second leading ground gainer last fall with 135 yards on 39 carries.

Blake Wayne

The Rams return most of the receiving corps from last fall, led by Blake Wayne, Carlton Koonce, Greg Wilson, Brian Wetzel, Sam Ajala and Andrew Spanarkel along with tight ends Dan Light and Nick Talbert. Wayne, a converted quarterback, led the 2011 Rams with 38 catches for 349 yards and one touchdown, while Koonce, who also saw time in the offensive backfield, was second on the team with 38 receptions for 309 yards and four scores. Wetzel was third on the team with 36 catches for 493 yards while Wilson hauled in 26 passes for a team-best 539 yards and four touchdowns. Light (23) and Ajala (15) also finished with double digit catches last year.

On the offensive line, 2011 starters Robert Kubacki (right tackle), Steven Tapia (right guard) and Thomas Fisher (left tackle) are back along with John Hohlt, Andrew Milmore, Chris Watkins, Matt Stolte and Alex Locker, who all saw time on the line last year.

Michael Martin

On the defensive side of the ball, four of the top five tacklers from 2011 return, led by linebacker Michael Martin, who topped the Rams with 94 total tackles, 51 solo, including three for loss and 1.5 sacks. Linebacker Jake Rodriques also returns after ranking third on the team last fall with 69 total tackles, 44 solo, including five for loss and 1.5 sacks. Defensive backs Ian Williams and Brendan Melanophy are back for 2011. Last year, Williams registered 54 total tackles, 41 solo, and he broke up a team-best eight passes while also intercepting two, while Melanophy made 53 stops, 35 solo.

Moorhead will have to replace two starters on the defensive line. Justin Yancey, who missed most of the 2011 season with an injury will return for 2012 along with to join returning starter Matthew Sconiers, who started the last four games of the year at end, Anthony Pesanello, John LaSure and DeAndre Slate.

Along with Martin and Rodriques, Fordham has a number of other linebackers returning with experience, including Nick Merino, Anthony Pesanello, Victor DiFusco, Austin Hancock and Brett Biestek.

In the defensive backfield, Vaughn Scott, who started the final eight games of 2011 and recorded 36 tackles, joins Melanophy and Williams. Other returning defensive backs include Khary Powell, Jake Dixon, Jordan Chapman, De'Nard Pinckney and Lourenzo Smith.

Patrick Murray

On special teams, All-America punter Patrick Murray is back, as are placekickers Michael Marando and Kevin Levin. Last year, Murray punted 49 times for 2,160 yards, an average of 44.1 yards/punt, tops in the Patriot League and third best in the NCAA FCS. He landed 21 of his kicks inside the opponent's 20 and had 16 of his 49 punts travel more than 50 yards, including a season-long 73-yarder. The 73 yard punt, which came at Rhode Island, tied his career-high and was the second longest punt in school history (the Fordham record is 85 yards by Len Eshmont in 1939). Murray also booted a 73-yard punt at Colgate in 2009.

Murray's 44.1 punting average last year was the fourth best single season average in Fordham history while his 41.4 career punting average is second on the school's all-time list and his 5,585 career punting yards is sixth.

Marando booted seven field goals as a freshman, including a season-long 41-yarder at Georgetown, and was 5-for-6 on kicks from 30-39 yards.

Fordham will open the 2012 season on Thursday, August 30th, when the Rams host the Lock Haven University Bald Eagles on Jack Coffey Field.