2006 EAGLE FOOTBALL PAUL WULFF

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1 10 EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY head coach Paul Wulff 2006 EAGLE FOOTBALL Goals are always the same under Wulff as Eastern continues to have lofty expectations for its program any of the names will change, but the goals and expectations Mare always the same for Eastern Washington University head football coach Paul Wulff as he enters his seventh season at the helm of the Eagle Football program. Despite losing some of the best players in school history including Payton Award winner Erik Meyer Eastern continues to have lofty expectations. In 2006, the Eagles attempt to extend a streak of seven-straight winning seasons, win a third-straight league title and make a third-straight appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs. Eastern, which has now made five appearances in the playoffs, had never made back-to-back playoff appearances nor won back-to-back titles in 22 seasons as a member of I-AA (19 as a member of the Big Sky). We ll just keep moving forward our expectations are the same and will not change, said Wulff. We ll work hard and continue to do the things it takes to have success on the field. We don t always have to have the most talented players, but we have to have players with the drive and passion to be really good. If they can bring that attitude to the table, then we ll be good. If you have a whole football team that has that common goal, then I feel very strongly that we ll be a tough team to contend with. His 2005 team finished 7-5 and won the Big Sky title with a 5-2 record before losing to eventual national runner-up Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs. In 2004, his squad finished 9-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the playoffs. The crowning glory came when the Eagles knocked off No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Southern Illinois in the first round. Wulff enters his 14th season on the Eagle Football coaching staff in 2006, including his seventh as head coach. With 65 victories from , Eastern s program has not had a better stretch of success in 97 years of football at the school. Success on the field has been the end result of years and years of labors for Wulff and his coaching staff hard work that eventually paid off. Our effort is really good, he said. That s the one thing about our program and our expectations here. Our kids have a great work ethic and effort is not an issue. If it is, we address that quickly. It s something that we really pride ourselves on. We believe we play as hard or harder than anybody else. As coaches, we want to see improvement from these guys on a daily basis, he said. Part of the fun that we have as coaches is finding ways to help our players get better. We know if they keep working hard, then they are going to make big strides. These kids work really hard they ve done good things in the past and they ll continue to do good things again. Players with character, competitiveness, perseverance and resiliency are traits that Wulff and his staff look for when they hit the road in search of future Eagles. There is a lot more between the ears and PAUL WULFF 7th Season as Head Coach, 14th overall at EWU Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in 2005, 2004 and Has coached 15 All-America offensive linemen, including 2004 I-AA.Org Lineman of the Year Michael Roos. Eastern has twice led I-AA in total offense (1997, 2001) during his tenure. The Eagles were fourth in I-AA in 2004 and Graduated from Washington State University in 1990 after playing for three different Cougar head coaches. Birthdate: Feb. 25, 1967, in Woodland, Calif. inside that chest that matters as much as playing ability, says Wulff, who is now overall and in the Big Sky Conference in six seasons as head coach. We need to do the best job we can to find players that fit into our program and blend into the players we have. We re looking for tough players and ones that want to work hard. They need a certain element of perseverance as well as commitment and pride. They don t always have to be the biggest, strongest and fastest, because we re going to try to get them to be big, strong and fast. Wulff Selected as Big Sky Coach of the Year Three Times in Six Years... Wulff has been selected as Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year three times in his six years at the helm. He is quick to pass along the praise to Home of Walter Payton Award Winner ERIK MEYER his players as well as his veteran group of assistant coaches including six with at least six years of experience at EWU. Our coaches and the players have done a great job to stay the course and keep our goals and mission in front of us, he said. We re always striving to move forward. Our assistants have done a great job coaching, and our players have done a great job taking the coaching. His 2005 team featured an incredibly talented and productive group of seniors that included the Big Sky s Offensive and Defensive MVP s (Erik Meyer and Joey Cwik), and featured a trio of All- Americans (Meyer, Eric Kimble and Matt Alfred). Together, Meyer and Kimble re-wrote Eastern s record book as they combined for 27 school records and four Big Sky marks. Meyer set a I-AA record for passing efficiency rating ( with 10,261 yards, 84 touchdowns, just 17 interceptions and a.657 completion rate), while Kimble s 46 touchdown grabs ranks second in I-AA history behind the 50 of legendary Jerry Rice. The 2004 season was also special, even after the Eagles opened the season 0-2. Eastern won eight of its next nine games most by substantial margins as the Eagles closed the year with a overtime victory at Montana State to secure a place in the playoffs. Quarterback Erik Meyer was named the league s Offensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award. Senior offensive tackle Michael Roos joined Meyer, wide receiver Eric Kimble and guard Rocky Hanni as All-Americans, with Roos eventually being taken in the second round of the NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans. Statistically, the 2004 and 2005 teams were nearly identical with both finishing the year ranked fourth in I-AA in total offense. In 2005 the Eagles averaged yards per game, and were 14th in scoring (35.0). A year earlier the Eagles averaged yards and 37.5 points per game to rank sixth. Getting to this point has been a work in progress for Wulff and his coaching staff. In 2000, Wulff concluded his first season as head coach with a 6-5 record overall and 5-3 finish in the Big Sky Conference as the Eagles were the runner-up for the second-straight year. A year later, the Eagles were ravaged by injuries, but they still managed to win all of their non-conference games en route to a 7-4 finish overall and 3-4 mark in the Big Sky. The Eagles just missed an NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth, and Wulff was selected as Big Sky Co-Coach of the Year. Before the 2001 season, Wulff revamped his team s offensive attack. The results were instantly noticeable, starting with a season-opening victory at I-A Connecticut when the Eagles outgained the Huskies in total offense Led by 10 senior starters, Eastern s record-breaking offense led NCAA Division I-AA in offense and scoring with averages of yards and 41.9 points per game. All-American running back Jesse Chatman led NCAA Division I-AA with 2,096 rushing yards as a senior in In all, Eastern finished the year with 43 school records, nine Big Sky Conference marks and three I-AA records. In 2002, the Eagles were third in I-AA in pass-

2 ing offense (317.6 yards per game) while ranking sixth in total offense (447.6) and 13th in scoring (33.2). In 2003, the Eagles averaged yards per game, ranking 21st in passing offense (247.3). Both years yielded records of 6-5 overall and 3-4 in the conference. Eastern s offense under Wulff has now led the Big Sky Conference in total offense in four of the last five years. The attack enables the Eagles to throw the ball a little more, utilize more short and intermediate passing routes, simplify formations and gives quarterbacks more freedom to change plays at the line of scrimmage. But the Eagles haven t lost sight of their bread and butter for the past two decades the running game. Eastern will always feature outstanding offensive linemen, with a stable of talented running backs. In nine of the past 11 seasons, Eastern has had a 1,000-yard rusher. In Eastern s first 86 years of football, only three 1,000-yard performances were recorded. Prior to becoming head coach, Wulff was offensive coordinator in 1998 and 1999, and six of his first nine seasons at EWU were spent as Eastern s full-time offensive line coach and strength coach. In 1999, Eastern ranked 28th in I-AA in rushing (196.3 per game) and was 40th in total offense with an average of per game. The Eagles had two games with at least 500 yards, four with at least 44 points and three times broke the 295-yard rushing barrier. Included was a school-record 456 yards against Cal State Northridge in which Jovan Griffith (262) and Jesse Chatman (211) broke a NCAA Division I-AA record for combined rushing yards by two players in the same game. In Wulff s first year as offensive coordinator in 1998, the Eagles had just four senior starters and still finished 31st nationally in total offense at yards per game. Wulff and his impressive offensive line were a major reason the Eagles led NCAA Division I-AA in offense in 1997 with an average of more than 500 yards per game. That year, the Eagles finished 12-2 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. His Former Home on the Line is Wulff s Pride and Joy... Wulff has coached 15 All-America offensive linemen at Eastern, including Matt Alfred in 2005, as well as 2004 selections Michael Roos and Rocky Hanni. Roos is perhaps the best of all of them as he earned Lineman of the Year honors from I-AA.org, was a first team All-American on four different teams (second team on a fifth), played in both the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game, was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and was eventually drafted in the second round by the Tennessee Titans. He was the first I-AA player chosen in the draft, Eastern s highest ever and the highest choice in the Big Sky since He was an instant success in Tennessee, starting all 16 games as a rookie in Other All-Americans on the line under Wulff have included Chris Polinder (2001), David Sherrod (2001), Asim Poston (2001), Luke Fritz (2000), Lance Knaevelsrud (1999), Aaron Best (1999), T.J. Ackerman (1998), Jim Buzzard (1996, 1997), Kevin Peterson (1997), Tom Ackerman (1995), Harold Fox (1993, 1994) and Trent Pollard (1993). Eastern offensive linemen have won 17 first team All-Big Sky Conference honors since Wulff arrived in 1993, as well as 12 second team awards and 15 honorable mention honors. In 2003, tackle Kurt Sigler earned second team All-Big Sky honors and was selected to play in four different all-star games (he played in two). Although he did not receive any All-America accolades, Sigler signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills and is now playing for the Spokane Shock in the Arena Football League (af2). Wulff is equally proud of his team s academic accomplishments. In 2002 and again in 2003, wide receiver Kyler Randall was a first team GTE CoSIDA Academic All-America selection, and he and Sigler were honored on the All-Region VIII squad in 2003 for the second straight year. Since 1989, Eastern has had 40 players on the Academic All-Region VIII squad, as well as eight Academic All-Americans. Also, about 16 football student- Wulff s Coaching & Playing Career athletes each year are honored on the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. We re very proud of our academic accomplishments, Wulff said. It isn t just about athletics and it isn t just about academics. It s about the whole experience of college, and at Eastern right now our players are getting that. We have student-athletes doing good things on all sides. Wulff had a brief pro career as a center after graduating from Washington State University in He signed a free agent contract with the New York Jets, but was released after injuring an ankle and a rib in the pre-season. He played in spring 1991 with Raleigh-Durham of the World League, then played in spring 1992 with New York-New Jersey. A 1985 graduate of Davis High School in Davis, Calif., Wulff played for three different coaches while he was at WSU. He redshirted in 1985 and started four games at guard in 1986 under Jim Walden. Dennis Erickson directed the program in 1987 and 1988 with Wulff as his starting center both years. In 1988, the Cougars were victorious in the Aloha Bowl as Wulff earned honorable mention All-Pacific 10 Conference honors. Under Mike Price in 1989, Wulff earned second team all-conference honors and was an honorable mention selection on the Sporting News All- America squad. He was also WSU s long snapper during his stay there. Wulff was born Feb. 25, 1967, in Woodland, Calif. He and his wife Sherry have an 11-year-old daughter named Katie and a 3-year-old son named Max. Their second son, Sam, was born on May 19, Overall/ Year School Coaching Assignment Big Sky 2005 Eastern Washington Head Coach (Totals: 5 seasons, 41-28/25-18 Big Sky) 7-5/ Eastern Washington Head Coach 9-4/ Eastern Washington Head Coach 6-5/ Eastern Washington Head Coach 6-5/ Eastern Washington Head Coach 7-4/ Eastern Washington Head Coach 6-5/ Eastern Washington Offensive Coordinator/Line/Strength Coach 7-4/ Eastern Washington Offensive Coordinator/Line/Strength Coach 5-6/ Eastern Washington Offensive Line/Strength Coach 12-2/ Eastern Washington Offensive Line/Strength Coach 6-5/ Eastern Washington Offensive Line/Strength Coach 3-8/ Eastern Washington Offensive Line/Strength Coach 4-7/ Eastern Washington Volunteer Assistant/Offensive Line 7-3/5-2 Playing Career 1992 Played in spring 92 with New York-New Jersey in the World League Played in spring 91 with Raleigh-Durham in the World League Signed a free agent contract with the NY Jets, but was injured and did not play Played at Washington State for Mike Price. Earned honorable mention All-America and second team All-Pacific 10 honors Played at Washington State for Dennis Erickson. Earned honorable mention All-Pacific 10 honors. Cougars won Aloha Bowl Played at Washington State for Dennis Erickson Played at Washington State for Jim Walden Redshirted at Washington State. Education Bachelor s degree in social science, Washington State University, 1990 Graduate of Davis, Calif., High School,

3 football family Lots of Reasons to Celebrate Father s Day 2006 EAGLE FOOTBALL Home of Walter Payton Award Winner ERIK MEYER Four babies born to Eagle football coaching staff in five-month span I f taking care of nearly 100 college football players wasn t challenging enough, the Eastern Washington University football coaching staff added four more reasons to celebrate Father s Day. In a five-month span from December 2005 to May 2006, four coaches and their wives welcomed new babies. The most recent was head coach Paul Wulff, whose wife Sherry gave birth to a son named Sam on May 19. Before that, defensive coordinator Jody Sears and his wife Molly had a new son named Charlie Ray born April 22. Wide receivers coach Keith Murphy and his wife Carrie had a girl on Jan. 31 named Lexi Rose. Dexter Kole Niekamp -- son of linebackers coach Travis Niekamp and his wife Tracy started the flurry of births when he was born on Dec. 30, If that wasn t enough, offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin and his wife Nicole are expecting their second child. And head men s basketball coach Mike Burns always a football coach wannabe and his wife Mary are expecting twins in September. Burns, in fact, has made overtures that he would like to conveniently schedule the birth make that births -- so as not to miss Eastern home football games on Sept. 16, Sept. 30 and Oct. 7. An initial flurry of births and baby-sitting opportunities for Cheney s teen population, increased diaper sales and more sleepless nights started when the Wulffs had a son named Max born on July 14, The Niekamp s followed with a son named Tye Dalton born on April 12, 2004, then Kylee Sears was born on May 7, Mia Jenae Baldwin followed on Dec. 29, Sears, who also has a five-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son, has a good start on his own football team with a total of five children. The elder statesmen of the staff running backs coach Joe Wade and tight ends coach Rich Rasmussen each have two older children. 12 Wulff Wins Third Big Sky Coach of the Year Honor In 1993, Eastern head football coach Paul Wulff shared an office with Mike Kramer. In 2005, they shared the honor of Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year as selected by the league s eight head coaches. Wulff directed the Eagles to their second-straight Big Sky Conference co-championship in 2005 and a second-straight NCAA Division I-AA Playoff berth. Kramer, a former East- ern head coach and assistant, led Montana State to a season-ending 16-6 victory over Montana as the Eagles, Bobcats and Grizzlies shared the 2005 title. Back in 1993, when Wulff was a first-year volunteer assistant coach and Kramer was the team s offensive line coach, that duo shared an office and coached the line together. When Kramer took over as EWU s head coach in 1994, Wulff became his of- fensive line coach. Wulff took over as Eastern s offensive coordinator under Kramer in 1998 and 1999, then took over as head coach in 2000 when Kramer left for Bozeman. It s gre eat to share the honor with him, said Wulff. He s a great friend and does a great job at Montana State. He has done wonders for my career since the day I became a coach at Eastern. He gave me a lot of leeway and helped me out so much. Wulff also won coach of the year honors in 2004 and In six years at the helm, Eastern is overall and in the Big Sky Conference. In the past two years alone, Eastern is 11-3 in the Big Sky and 15-9 overall. A 1990 graduate of Washington State University where he played as a center under three head coaches, Wulff passed along praise to his assistant coaches and players for the honor. There is no question it s a team honor, said Wulff. Our assistant coaches have done a great job. When you have 100 players to manage, you have to have quality people to help you. Whether it s on the field or off the field, it all ties together. It s great to be honored by your peers and have them respect what you do.

4 assistant coaches 2006 EAGLE FOOTBALL Home of Walter Payton Award Winner ERIK MEYER BEAU BALDWIN Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks 4th Season Central Washington, 96 Beau Baldwin enters his fourth year coordinating the Eagle offense after making the short trip to Eastern Washington University from Central Washington University. He also coaches quarterbacks and is the team s academic coordinator. Baldwin, 34, has helped Eastern lead the Big Sky Conference in total offense the past two seasons. In 2004 and 2005, Eastern s offense was one of the best in the nation thanks to the arm and legs of Payton Award winner Erik Meyer. In 2005, the Eagles averaged yards per game to rank fourth nationally, and were 14th in scoring (35.0). A year earlier, the Eagles averaged yards and 37.5 points per game to rank sixth. Eastern also ranked in the top 10 nationally both years in passing offense and passing efficiency. In Baldwin s first season, the Eagles ranked 29th in I-AA in scoring (31.27) and were 47th in offense (380.0). Meyer had 84 touchdown passes with just 17 interceptions in his career to set a NCAA Division I-AA record for passing efficiency (166.47). Meyer broke 14 school records and two Big Sky marks. Before coming to EWU, Baldwin spent seven seasons and nine overall at CWU with positions as quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator. A 1996 graduate of CWU, he served seven years under head coach John Zamberlin, a former EWU assistant coach. Also a former Wildcat quarterback from , Baldwin passed along his knowledge to two of the greatest quarterbacks in CWU history en route to two of the school s best-ever seasons. He was quarterbacks coach in when All-American Jon Kitna was in Ellensburg, leading CWU to a record and the NAIA Championship in He also coached All-American Zak Hill a former assistant at EWU as the Wildcats finished the 2002 season 11-1 and ranked fifth in NCAA Division II before losing in the first round of the playoffs. In six of his nine seasons at CWU, the Wildcats led their conference in passing and were at least second in scoring and total offense. In 2002, Central ranked second in NCAA Division II in passing offense (315 yards per game) and was fourth in total offense (465) and 11th in scoring (36.8). As a player, Baldwin was a two-time team captain and completed 121-of-197 passes for 1,655 yards and eight touchdowns. His career completion percentage of.614 is a school record. In a win versus Simon Fraser in 1991, he set single-game school records for attempts (52), completions (32), yards (467), total plays (66) and total yards (550). He had a 6-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left to give the Wildcats the win. A year later, Baldwin came off the bench to lead CWU to the greatest fourthquarter comeback in Columbia Football Association history. He completed 21-of-33 passes for 222 yards as the Wildcats scored 26 points in the final quarter to overcome a 28-3 deficit and defeat Eastern Oregon Baldwin graduated in 1990 from Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash. He earned three letters in football and three in baseball and helped lead Curtis to the 1989 State AAA title in football along with fellow EWU coach Brian Strandley. He was born May 21, 1972, in Santa Barbara, Calif. He and his wife Nicole have a girl named Mia Janae who was born Dec. 29, JODY SEARS Defensive Coordinator/Safeties 4th Season Washington State, 91 Jody Sears, a graduate of Washington State University and former college teammate of Eagle head coach Paul Wulff, returned to the Inland Northwest in the 2003 season to take over as EWU s defensive coordinator. He is coaching safeties this year for the third consecutive year after handling linebackers in his first season in the program. Eastern s 2005 defense finished 15th nationally in pass efficiency defense (103.3) after spending most of the year in the top five. The Eagles were 45th in scoring defense (23.4) in 2005 and his defense in 2004 set a school record with nine sacks against Weber State. After just a few short months on the job, he helped implement a new defense in 2003 that received further adjustments in the off-season. Eastern began the 2003 season by allowing just 24 points in its first two games in a 19-9 loss to San Diego State and an 8-5 win over Idaho. Prior to coming to Cheney, Sears was an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. He served three years on the Black Knight staff, including the 2001 and 2002 season as cornerbacks coach. In 2000, during his rookie year with Army, he assisted with the defensive line. A 1991 graduate of Washington State University, Sears lettered twice for the Cougars as a walk-on wide receiver. Like Wulff, he played under head coaches Jim Walden, Dennis Erickson and Mike Price during his tenure with the Cougars. After seeing limited field duty during the early portion of his Cougar career, Sears lettered his final two years and finished with 11 career receptions for 118 yards. Sears also served as the holder for All-America placekicker Jason Hansen on field goal and extra point attempts as a senior. Following a brief coaching stint on the high school level, Sears served as a graduate assistant at Iowa State University, where he helped coach defensive backs and wide receivers from 1994 through He received his master s degree at Iowa State in Sears coached at St. Ambrose University in 1998, assuming responsibilities as the defensive coordinator for the Fighting Bees. Former EWU offensive coordinator Timm Rosenbach also a Cougar teammate of Wulff and Sears and now quarterbacks coach at WSU joined Sears at St. Ambrose in Sears was born Oct. 21, 1967, and turns 39 the day Eastern plays at Portland State. He is formerly from Pullman, Wash., and graduated from Pullman High School in He and his wife Molly have a son named Weston (16), a daughter named Hannah Jo (4), a boy named J.T. (3) and a girl named Kylee Ann (1). Another son named Charlie Ray was born on April 22, JOE WADE Running Backs 7th Season Linfield, 91 Having already coached the top two ground gainers and touchdown producers in school history, Wade enters his seventh season as coach of a corps of Eagle running backs who have had 13

5 a 1,000-yard rusher in nine of the last 11 seasons. Last season, Oregon State transfer Ryan Cole came up short with 879 yards, but Eastern s offense ranked fourth nationally in total offense (477.8 per game) and 14th in scoring (35.0). In 2004, first team All-Big Sky Conference running back Darius Washington finished with 1,127 yards in leading Eastern to a 9-4 record and co-big Sky Conference title. Eastern s offense was one of the best in the nation, ranking fourth in NCAA Division I-AA with an average of yards of total offense per game and 37.5 points per game to rank sixth. In his first three seasons at EWU, Wade coached standouts Jesse Chatman and Jovan Griffith, who rank first and second, respectively, on Eastern s all-time rushing yards list. Chatman finished his EWU career with school records of 4,173 yards and 53 touchdowns, and Griffith had 3,320 yards and 33 TDs. In 2002, Griffith rushed for 1,130 yards, and a year earlier, Chatman led NCAA Division I-AA by rushing for 2,096 yards. Eastern led the Big Sky and ranked 12th nationally in rushing in 2001 with an average of yards per game and led I-AA in total offense (514.5) and scoring (41.9). Previously, Wade was running backs coach at Montana State in A 1991 graduate of Linfield College in Oregon, he spent the 1998 season as secondary coach at Connecticut. Prior to that, he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fresno City College for three seasons. He also coached receivers at San Francisco State for two seasons and spent a year as quarterbacks coach at Cal State-Hayward. Wade was a quarterback at Linfield College, which won the 1986 NAIA footchampionship while he was there. He received his bachelor s degree in Wade was born Jan. 23, He has two children, Cierra (10) and Simone (8). KEITH MURPHY Wide Receivers/Special Teams 8th Season Washington, 97 The coach of the top two receivers in school history, Keith Murphy is in his eighth season on EWU s staff and seventh as a full-time assistant. He coaches wide receivers and special teams, and also is responsible for video exchange. The last four seasons he has coached All- American Eric Kimble, who finished a record-breaking career with 253 catches for 4,140 yards and 46 touchdowns. His touchdown total is second in I-AA history behind the 50 of the legendary Jerry Rice. Kimble was one of four senior receivers on the 2005 roster that combined for 156 games of experience (74 starts), with totals of 503 catches for 7,858 yards and 74 touchdowns. Kimble broke 13 school records and a pair of Big Sky marks. He broke EWU s career receiving record of 168 held previously by two-time Academic All-American Kyler Randall ( ). In the past seven years under Murphy, Eastern has returned six punts for touchdowns and five kickoff returns for scores. Kimble returned three of the punts for scores, including two in 2004 when he earned first team All-Big Sky Conference honors as a return specialist. Eastern ranked second in I-AA in 2004 in punt returns with an average of 16.6 yards per return. From he coached All- America kickoff returner Lamont Brightful, who went on to spend three seasons in the NFL. In 1999, Murphy s kickoff return team ranked second in NCAA Division I-AA with an average of 26.3 yards per return, with Brightful second with a 33.9 average. In 2000, Brightful again ranked second nationally with a 32.2 average and two returns for touchdowns. Teams consistently kicked away from Brightful in 2001, but his 24.3 average was still good enough to earn him All-America honors for the third straight season. Murphy came to Eastern from the University of Washington where he served as a graduate assistant working with wide receivers, quarterbacks and special teams from spring 1997 to spring He was also a student assistant in 1996, coaching running backs and special teams before he received his bachelor s degree in psychology in He played for the Huskies as a wide receiver and special teams player. In all, he was a part of two Pacific 10 Conference championship teams (1992, 95) and was a part of five bowl games 1998 Oahu Bowl, 1997 Aloha Bowl, 1996 Holiday Bowl, 1995 Sun Bowl and the 1993 Rose Bowl (following the 92 season). Murphy is a 1992 graduate of Mt. Rainier High School in Seattle, Wash., where he competed in football, basketball, soccer and track. He was born July 7, 1974, in Seattle, Wash. He and his wife Carrie were married July 12, Their first child, a daughter named Lexi Rose, was born on Jan. 31, RICH RASMUSSEN Tight Ends 11th Season Eastern Washington, 98 With more than a decade of service as an assistant coach for the Eagle football team, Rasmussen begins his eighth year in charge of Eastern s tight ends. He also serves as an administrative assistant for head coach Paul Wulff, with specific responsibilities coordinating recruiting, team travel, summer camps and the annual Coaches Golf Tournament. Three of his tight ends have earned All-Big Sky Conference honors, including current player Tim Calhoun (second team in 2005 and honorable mention in 2002 when he was named the Big Sky s Freshman of the Year by Dopke.com). For four seasons he coached Dan Curley, who earned All-America honors for the Eagles in 2002 before being drafted in the fifth round by the St. Louis Rams. Rasmussen began coaching at Eastern in 1996 as a student assistant coach on defense, then helped with the offensive line in He coached running backs in 1998 before taking over as tight ends coach the following season. Since coming to Eastern, he has earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. He received his bachelor of science degree in physical education in 1998, which was changed to a bachelor of arts in education degree upon completion of student teaching in In August 2000, he completed his master s degree in athletic administration. Rasmussen also received an associate degree from Tacoma Community College in 1997 and is a 1983 graduate of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash. He also coached at Bellarmine Prep and Mt. Tahoma high schools prior to coming to Eastern. He was born May 6, 1965, in Tacoma, Wash. He and his wife Teri have two sons, Josh (10) and Jacob (7). MALIK ROBERSON Defensive Tackles 7th Season Central Washington, 01 One of three former Washington State University football players on the Eagle coaching staff, Malik Roberson enters his seventh season as an Eastern coach. He spent his first two seasons as a student assistant working with defensive linemen and now enters his fifth as defensive line coach. Last year, he coached Harrison Nikolao, who earned second team All-Big 14

6 Sky honors but has since moved to the offensive line. In 2004, three of his defensive linemen earned All-Big Sky Conference honors, including first team selection Tom Finnerty. The Eagles finished the year ranked 38th in NCAA Division I-AA in rushing defense, allowing just yards per game. Eastern had a school-record nine sacks against Weber State. Roberson graduated in 1989 from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Wash., then played at Washington State. He redshirted in 1989 and played as a linebacker and defensive lineman for the Cougars during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. He left Pullman, but resumed his playing career at Central Washington in 1994 when he earned first team All-Columbia Football Association honors (Mount Rainier Division). He was injured much of his senior season in 1995, but served as co-captain and helped lead the Wildcats to a record and the NAIA Championship. He attended the NFL Combine after his senior season, but he was unable to continue his playing career because of a neck injury. Roberson coached linebackers at Lewis and Clark in 1992 and 1993, and again in 1999 before joining Wulff at Eastern in He eventually completed requirements toward his bachelor s degree in Roberson was born April 30, 1971, in Spokane, Wash., and was married on June 4, His wife s name is Ondria and he has a son named Nick (16) AARON BEST Offensive Line 7th Season Eastern Washington, 01 An All-America center as a player for the Eagles from , Best had the opportunity to coach two All-Americans in the 2004 season and another in He enters his fifth season as coach of Eastern s offensive line after previously helping coach that unit as a graduate assistant in 2001 and as a student assistant in Matt Alfred earned All-America honors in 2005, and he was recognized on the All-Big Sky squad along with Kraig Sigler and Rocky Hanni. All five of Eastern s starting offensive linemen earned All-Big Sky Conference honors in 2004, including first team selections Michael Roos and Rocky Hanni. Both players went on to earn All-America honors, with Roos also being selected as the Lineman of the Year by I-AA.Org. Roos played in the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Game, and was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. He became the highest NFL draft choice in school history when he was chosen in the second round 41st overall by the Tennessee Titans in He started all 16 games for the Titans as a rookie. Eastern s offensive lines helped the Eagles rank fourth in NCAA Division I-AA in total offense both seasons. In 2005 the Eagles averaged yards per game, and were 14th in scoring (35.0). A year earlier the Eagles averaged yards and 37.5 points per game to rank sixth. In 2003, Eastern averaged yards per game and ranked 21st in NCAA Division I-AA in passing offense (247.3). In 2002 the Eagles finished third in I-AA in passing offense (317.6) and were sixth in total offense (447.6) a year after leading I-AA in total offense and scoring. Best started 22 straight games at center for Eastern in 1998 and 1999, earning honorable mention All-Big Sky honors as a junior and first team honors as a senior. He also earned honorable mention All-America honors his final season. An outstanding student with a 3.3 grade point average, as a senior he was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII team and was selected to the NCAA Division I-AA Athletic Directors Academic All-Star Team. Twice he was selected to the Big Sky All-Academic team. He received his bachelor s degree in social science from EWU in 2001 and is currently working toward his master s degree in physical education. He was Eastern s long-snapper for four seasons and was a backup lineman in 1997 when Eastern led NCAA Division I-AA in total offense (505.6 yards per game). That team finished 12-2 and advanced to the I-AA Final Four. The Eagles were in the four seasons Best played for the Eagles, and the Eagles had a 1,000-yard rusher each year a streak that reached eight straight seasons until it was broken in Best graduated in 1996 from Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash., where he had a 3.75 grade point average. He was co-captain his senior season as Curtis won the State AAA championship. His brother Tyler Best was a starting catcher for the Lewis-Clark State baseball team, which won its second straight NAIA World Series title in He also played at L-C again in 2004 before being taken by Oakland in the 16th round of the Major League Baseball draft. Best was born Jan. 27, 1978, in Tacoma, Wash. CHRIS HANSEN Cornerbacks 8th Season Eastern Washington, 91 A true veteran of the Eagle coaching staff, Chris Hansen has been a part of the EWU program nearly 10 years since the mid-1980s. In 2003, he assumed additional duties as coach of Eagle cornerbacks after serving as a volunteer assistant in the secondary in 2002 and He is also helping Rich Rasmussen run EWU summer camps. Eastern s 2005 team featured a pair of senior cornerbacks in Jesse Hendrix (first team All-Big Sky) and Isaiah Trufant (missed six games with an ankle injury). They combined for 16 interceptions, 65 passes broken up and 287 total tackles in their Eagle careers. That duo had a combined 85 games of experience, including 69 career starts. In 2004, Hansen coached three All-Big Sky cornerbacks in Trufant (first team), Ryan Phillips (first team) and Hendrix (honorable mention). Phillips is now playing B.C. Lions in the Canadian Football League, and Trufant and Hendrix are playing for the Spokane Shock in arenafootball2. Hansen played one season at Eastern Washington in 1983, finishing with 25 tackles as an outside linebacker for a team that lost its first five games of the season and won its last five. Before that he played the 1980 and 1981 seasons at Spokane Falls Community College and spent one season as a non-lettering walk-on at Washington State in He eventually returned to Eastern as an assistant coach in 1988 and spent three seasons as a student assistant under head coach Dick Zornes. He coached safeties his first year including former NFL standout Kurt Schulz then coached tight ends the following two seasons. After receiving his bachelor s degree from Eastern in secondary education in 1991, he returned to coach and teach at his alma mater Liberty High School in Spangle, Wash. for seven years. He coached football, basketball and track, serving as an assistant when Liberty won the 1992 State B title in football. He was head coach of the girls track team that won the 1993 State B championship. He received his master s degree from Gonzaga University in 1996, then returned to Eastern in 2002 as a volunteer assistant coach. Hansen is a 1979 graduate of Liberty High School in Spangle, Wash. He was born April 10, 1961, in Morristown, N.J. He has two daughters Amanda (19) and Chelsee (14). His younger brother Aaron Hansen played for the Eagles from and was an All-Big Sky Conference defensive end. He finished with 25 sacks and had 207 career tackles. 15

7 16 TRAVIS NIEKAMP Linebackers 3rd Season Illinois State, 98 Coach of the 2005 Big Sky Defensive MVP, Travis Niekamp joined the Eastern coaching staff as a linebackers coach in 2004 as he became reunited with fellow defensive coach Jody Sears. In his Eagle debut, he coached a pair of All-Big Sky Conference linebackers, Joey Cwik (first team) and Doug Vincent (honorable mention). Cwik was the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, and never missed a game in his four years as an Eagle. He finished with 331 tackles in his 47-game career (40 as a starter) to rank fourth in school history. Cwik (first team) and David Eneberg (honorable mention) earned All-Big Sky honors in Niekamp spent the previous four years at the United States Military Academy where he coached tight ends. Sears spent three seasons with Niekamp at West Point before becoming defensive coordinator for EWU head coach Paul Wulff in Sears moved from linebackers to safeties with the arrival of Niekamp. Before joining Army, Niekamp spent two seasons at his alma mater Illinois State coaching outside linebackers in 1999 and defensive tackles in He was a former All-Gateway Conference selection in 1996 and 1997, when he played as a defensive lineman, finishing his career with 170 tackles. That figure included eight quarterback sacks and 22 total tackles for loss. He was team captain as a senior and was a regular member of the Athletic Director s Honor Roll during his undergraduate days at Illinois State. He graduated from Illinois State in 1998 with a bachelor s degree in exercise science. A native of Stevens Point, Wis., he was selected as a National Strength and Conditioning All-American in In high school, he played in the Wisconsin All-Star Shrine Classic. Niekamp was born Nov. 30, He and his wife Tracy have a twoyear-old son, Tye Dalton, and another son, Dexter Kole, who was born Dec. 30, BRIAN STRANDLEY Defensive Ends 1st Season Idaho, 95 After nine years at Central Washington University, Brian Strandley has joined the Eastern Washington coaching staff as a defensive ends coach. Strandley is a 1995 graduate of the University of Idaho where he was a four-year starter from Strandley was hired at CWU when John Zamberlin a former EWU assistant coach from took over as head coach in He helped the Wildcats compile a record in nine seasons, including an 8-2 record in the 2005 season. Central won its last seven games and was undefeated in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Strandley was Idaho s 1993 defensive captain, and finished his career with 101 tackles. When he was a junior, the Vandals advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs, and in 1994, Idaho led I-AA in rushing defense (65.3 yards per game). He helped Idaho to a record, three playoff berths and one Big Sky Conference title in four seasons under head coach John L. Smith. Included were three victories in four games versus Eastern. Idaho lost to the Eagles in overtime his freshman season, but then won the next three games by a combined score of He had seven tackles, a sack and a pass broken up in four career games versus EWU. After he graduated from Idaho, Strandley coached at Potlatch, Idaho, High School where he served as defensive coordinator and head junior varsity coach. He s a 1990 graduate of Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash., where he was a teammate with current Eagle offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin. Strandley lettered in football and baseball, earning All-State honors as a defensive tackle when he and Baldwin led Curtis to the State AAA title in Eagle offensive line coach Aaron Best is also a Curtis grad (1996), and helped lead his school to a State title in Strandley was born June 7, 1971, in Tacoma, Wash. DARIN LOVAT Strength and Conditioning 5th Season UNLV, 98 Darin Lovat enters his fifth year as Eastern s strength and conditioning coach. He is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is responsible for the development and implementation of strength and conditioning programs for Eastern s 300 student-athletes. Lovat spent the three previous years at UCLA, first as a strength and conditioning intern and then as a full-time assistant. He was responsible for design and administration of programs for men s basketball, men s volleyball, men s soccer, women s water polo and sprinters and jumpers in women s track and field. He also spent spring 2000 working with the baseball program, and from December 2001 to February 2002 working with the Bruin football squad as the top assistant. Two of the teams he worked with women s water polo in 2002 and men s volleyball in 2001 won NCAA titles. Prior to that, Lovat was the head strength and conditioning coach at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., where he also received his master s degree in exercise science in He also worked with the Carolina Panthers as an intern and at his alma mater UNLV as a student assistant. Lovat received his bachelor s degree from UNLV in 1998 after playing in 47 consecutive Rebel football games from He played on the 1994 Las Vegas Bowl championship team, and was twice selected as the school s Special Teams Player of the Year. He was also selected twice to the Big West Conference All-Academic team. Besides being a certified strength and conditioning coach, he is a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Club Coach and has competed in power lifting since high school. He is a 1993 graduate of Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield, Ill. Lovat was married in December 2004 to the former Ann McConnell. He is the nephew of former long-time Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach and offensive line coach Tom Lovat. Mike Roberg Jeff Schmedding Tom Ackerman Larry Beelaert Graduate Assistant/ Graduate Assistant/ Strength & Conditioning Special Offense Defense Assistant Assignments

8 EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY season outlook An era is over, but a new one begins for Eagles and 41 returning letterwinners T he Eastern Washington University football team is out to prove there is life after the memorable Meyer-KimbleVijil-McIntyre-Sanders-Cwik-Trufant-Hendrix era. On paper, the Eagles look good with 41 returning letter winners and just 21 lost, but replacing the incredible contributions of eight amazingly productive seniors will prove to be difficult indeed. Eastern loses the Walter Payton Award winner and Big Sky Offensive MVP (quarterback Erik Meyer), the Big Sky Defensive MVP (middle linebacker Joey Cwik), four wide receivers and a pair of cornerbacks. The players already in the program really need to step up, said Eagle head coach Paul Wulff, whose rebuilding effort is a daunting one. We have areas with voids, and now it s up to the players in those positions to step up. They need to make plays and carry their load and their responsibility. It s up to them. But the contributions of those eight seniors won t be easily replaced. They helped lead Eastern to back-to-back Big Sky Conference co-championships and NCAA Division I-AA Playoff berths both seasons. Meyer, with a completion percentage of.657, 10,261 yards, 84 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions in 42 career games, broke the I-AA record for efficiency rating (166.5) by quarterbacks with at least career 400 completions. Cwik never missed a game in his four years as an Eagle and finished with 331 tackles in his 47-game career (40 as a starter) to rank fourth in school history. Receivers Eric Kimble, Raul Vijil, Craig McIntyre and Richmond Sanders finished their careers with a combined 156 games of experience (74 starts), with totals of 503 catches for 7,858 yards and 74 touchdowns. Cornerbacks Isaiah Trufant and Jesse Hendrix combined for 16 interceptions, 65 passes broken up and 287 total tackles in their Eagle careers. That duo had a combined 85 games of experience, including 69 career starts. But 41 returning letter winners including six starters on each side of the ball plus the team s kicker and punter has Wulff excited about the possibilities. Only 21 letter winners were lost. There is no question that this is a team that has the potential to surprise some people and do some good things down the road, he said. But we have a lot of work in front of us. We re going to take it step by step. Despite the loss of talent in key skill positions, Wulff is hoping the return of experienced offensive and defensive linemen will help make up for it. The Eagles gave up 53 sacks and averaged just rushing yards last season, but a year earlier a more experienced unit allowed only 36 sacks 2006 EAGLE FOOTBALL Home of Walter Payton Award Winner ERIK MEYER and averaged rushing yards. Defensively, Eastern had only 18 sacks and allowed rushing yards per game. But again, an experienced unit in 2004 had eight more sacks and allowed only rushing yards per game. If you re strong in your offensive and defensive lines, then you always have the chance to compete, explained Wulff. With that being said, we have a chance. We have enough experienced and talented players back, and we have some players in key roles that will have to be playmakers for us. Eastern s accomplishments and victories in 2005 will be remembered most because of a rash of injuries the team had to overcome. A total of 20 Eagles including 15 who started at various times during the season missed games and practice time because of injuries suffered since the start of the season. In all, the injuries caused those 20 players to miss 90 total games and 55 total starts. I guess the positive part of having a lot of injuries is the opportunity for youth to be able to play and get some experience, he said. That should help us out. The key now is for this football team to mature a little bit. Our offensive and defensive lines were so youthful last year that we got nicked up. If you have to play young linemen, so many times they don t have the mental capability or are not physically strong enough to handle an 11- or 12-game season. We re hoping this year, with added strength and size, that we can avoid that immaturity. Regardless, Eastern continues to have lofty expectations as they attempt to continue a streak of seven-straight winning seasons, win a third-straight league title and make a third-straight appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs. Eastern, which has now made five total appearances in the playoffs, had never made back-to-back playoff appearances nor won back-to-back titles in 22 seasons as a member of I-AA (19 as a member of the Big Sky). Senior running back Ryan Cole OFFENSE OFFENSE Sometimes, the obvious is obvious. Not including incoming freshmen, Eastern will look to a pair of quarterbacks to replace Meyer, and a young yet talented group of receivers ready to replace the four standout receivers the Eagles lost to graduation. Obviously, there s the obvious, said Wulff. We have some openings at the receiver positions and the quarterback spot, so we ll see what emerges there. There are a lot of players who will have the opportunity to fill those roles. Junior Chris Peerboom has the inside edge for the quarterback position 17

9 based on experience in the program, but didn t get much of an opportunity to play behind Meyer the past two seasons. He played in only three games in 2005 after suffering a hand injury in the first game of the season that kept him from practicing for nearly two months. He completed just 2-of-13 passes for 22 yards and four interceptions, but the year before was 9-of-21 for 66 yards and two interceptions in seven games. He s the frontrunner based on experience, being in the program and knowing our offense, said Wulff. He has done some very good things in practice, but he has yet to be able to do those things in a ballgame. Matt Nichols will push for the starting spot after redshirting as a freshman last season. He is from Cottonwood, Calif., and graduated in 2005 from West Valley High School. Our quarterback situation is about taking care of the football, getting first downs and scoring points, explained Wulff. It s an easy thing to say but not an easy thing to do. It s a generic way to put it, but we have to determine who is going to move the chains the best, who is going to score points and who is going to take care of the football. It s his job to take charge and run the huddle. It s on him to do that, but at the same time, he has 10 other guys who need to do their part. When everyone is doing their part, you are going to have success. Eastern s receiving corp includes junior Tyler Senior safety Brandon Keeler Coleman, who caught 22 passes for 330 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore, and caught five passes for 48 yards and a score as a freshman in Charles Searcy, a Eagle cornerback in 2005, will move to offense after playing both positions in junior college. Tyler Coleman has a good amount of experience, and we feel good about him, said Wulff. Charles Searcy was also a receiver in junior college, and receiver is probably a more natural position for him. He gives us a veteran threat with some speed. It s a position he s more comfortable with. A trio of 2005 redshirts should also challenge for positions. Aaron Boyce is a big target at 6-foot-2 and earned EWU Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week honors twice in Tony Davis was the Ofensive Scout Team Player of the Year, and Brynsen Brown also figures to get an opportunity to play. We are also excited about the potential of Aaron Boyce and Tony Davis, a pair of redshirts who have the potential to be fine players, explained Wulff. They still have a lot of work in front of them and a lot to prove. They have a challenge because of their youth and understanding the demand of what is going to be put on them every day in practice. Eastern also has talent at tight end that should help from both a pass receiving and blocking standpoint. Senior Tim Calhoun returns after earning second team All-Big Sky honors in 2005 and honorable mention as a true freshman in The two seasons in between were miserable as he was plagued by injuries. He caught 15 passes for 213 yards last year and had 31 catches for 378 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman. Junior Tom McAndrews is also back with 18 games of experience under his belt. He has caught six passes for 68 yards in his career, and in spring 2005 he was selected as the team s most improved player on offense. Freshman redshirts Chad Kurz and Nathan Overbay should also see plenty of action. Overbay, whose uncle Lyle Overbay now plays for the Toronto Blue Jays, caught 81 passes for 1,485 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior in high school in The Eagles need their offensive line to be the strength of the team in The Eagles return a pair of All-Americans in juniors Matt Alfred (6-3, 300) and Rocky Hanni (6-5, 290), and two others who have significant starting experience. Those four players all started at least six games in 2005, and have a combined 67 starts between them. And all four of them were just second-year players in the Eagle program last season and return in 2006 as juniors. Plus, All-Big Sky second team defensive lineman Harrison Nikolao will move full-time to the offensive line after seeing some action there as a sophomore in He has started 24 games on defense for EWU. Our offensive line has to get better, said Wulff. There are some returning players there and some depth, but we ll see who emerges and see if we really make the progress we need to make in the offensive line. Throughout the year we weren t consistent enough and it wasn t up to the level we expect in our program at that position, including the tight end position. Alfred, a sturdy 6-3, 300 pounds, was a first team All-America and All-Big Sky pick in 2005 after helping the Eagles rank fourth nationally in total offense with an average of yards per game. He has started as either a guard or tackle in Eastern s last 22 games the past two seasons. The group also includes Rocky Hanni, who as a freshman in 2004 was the first-ever offensive lineman to win Big Sky Newcomer of the Year honors. The 6-5, 290-pound Hanni also earned All-America honors that season and has started all 23 games as an Eagle. He moved from tackle to guard as a sophomore, but is expected to return to tackle in Chris Carlsen (6-2, 270) was a 10-game starter as a sophomore in 2005, including six games at center. Returning at tackle is 12-game starter Zach Wasielewski (6-3, 280). Adding depth along the offensive line are returning letter winners Bryan Smith (6-3, 280), Julian Stewart (6-2, 285) and Charlie Wulff f (6-0, 275), as well as five 2005 freshman redshirts. The bottom line is finding a more productive offensive line, and one that can avoid allowing 53 sacks as it did in 12 games last season. We were very blessed to have a player like Erik who could escape a lot of pressure, said Wulff. You aren t always going to have that. It comes back to our offensive line and running the football. We have to run the ball better than we have, and that will help our offensive line in our pass protection too. We have to get back to some of that. Enter Nikolao, a physical presence at 6-2, 295 pounds. He has had 80 tackles with 7 1/2 sacks and a pair of pass deflections in his 36-game career thus far, but was able to make the move probably to a guard position because of depth along the EWU defensive line. It puts him in a more natural position, said Wulff. His best chance to be a great football player is on the offensive side of the ball. Right now that might help our offense with the importance of running the football and the importance of solidifying our offensive line. He gives us some leadership and character there. The biggest reason the Eagles hope for improved production at offensive line is to take advantage of a quartet of experienced running backs including a pair who burst onto the scene in Senior Ryan Cole, who transferred last year from Oregon State, earned second team All-Big Sky honors after rushing for 879 yards and 14 touchdowns. Sophomore Dale Morris added 310 yards and a touchdown in nine games in his Eagle debut. Also back are a pair of veterans in juniors Toke Kefu and Dezmon Cole. Kefu, who still has a redshirt year to use, rushed for 345 yards and four touchdowns in 2004 and added 154 yards last season. Dezmon Cole 18

10 had 56 as a freshman in 2003, then had 311 and three touchdowns as a sophomore before redshirting in Adding depth at running back is A.J. Jimmerson, who played sparingly as a defensive back in I see great competition at running back, said Wulff. We have four experienced players returning, and A.J. Jimmerson is in the mix too. It will be interesting to see how that unfolds. DEFENSE A simple fundamental might be the key to the season for Eastern, which was respectable in allowing 363 yards and 23.4 points per game. But the Eagles gave up points and yards by the bunches in their four shootout losses against I-AA competition. They lost those four games by a combined 17 points, including road losses at Northern Iowa (41-38), Cal Poly (40-35) and Idaho State (34-30). Eastern also suffered a loss at home to Weber Sate on Oct. 22, and a loss at I-A San Jose State to open the year. Improving our tackling is the biggest thing we need to do, said Wulff. I don t know if it s anything about X s and O s as much as it was missed tackles in a couple of games that really cost us. Those are just fundamentals there s nothing special. We just need to be more fundamentally sound on defense, particularly tackling. Overall, Eastern s defense has plenty of experience returning, including eight returning letter winners on the defensive line, four at linebacker and eight in the secondary. The lone returning All-Big Sky Conference players are safety Bryan Jarrett (first team), Brandon Keeler (second team), rover Nick Denbeigh (honorable mention) and linebacker David Eneberg (honorable mention). Harrison Nikolao earned second team honors, but has moved to the offensive line. Our defensive line play is going to be awfully critical for us, said Wulff of the defensive keys. We need some consistency and get our players to play well. In our secondary, our safety position has to perform better. Jarrett finished his first season as an Eagle with 59 tackles, an interception and two passes broken up. Keeler, a first team All-Big Sky selection as a sophomore, had 62 tackles with an interception and two passes broken up. In addition, Denbeigh finished with 66 tackles, an interception and six passes broken up from his rover position. Backup safety Gregor Smith played just seven games due to a knee injury, and finished with 31 tackles, an interception and two passes broken up. As a freshman in 2004, Smith earned second team All-Big Sky honors on special teams. We liked the play of Bryan Jarrett in his first year playing for us and he had an outstanding year, said Wulff. But we really didn t get the play we needed at the other positions. Nick Denbeigh had a solid year, but losing Gregor Smith for much of the year hurt us. Brandon Keeler underachieved last year. Those are all guys that are back that need to step up and have great years for us. Other returning letterwinners in the secondary include Denique Ford, who finished with 58 tackles, an interception and six passes broken up as a backup safety and cornerback. He and Ira Jarmon (15 tackles, two passes broken up) are the leading candidates to fill Eastern s vacant cornerback positions. Denique played a tremendous amount for us, but he needs to be better, said Wulff. Ira Jarmon is a return player who played a little bit. That position needs to be solidified with those guys and a few others. Anthony Dotson (seven tackles, one pass broken up) is the other returning letterwinner in the secondary. Also in the secondary is Adam Macomber, who lettered as a true freshman at running back after walking on in the fall. Three freshman redshirts are expected to add depth in the secondary, particularly at the safety positions, and also provide help on special teams. They include Robert Pearson, Kyle Wilkins and Aaron Cartwright. At linebacker, Eneberg finished with 60 tackles in his first full season Junior safety Bryan Jarrett as a starter. Also seeing action in 2005 were Marcus Walker (15 tackles, one interception) and Shea Emry (12 tackles). Both were special teams standouts as well, with Emry earning honorable mention All-Big Sky honors. Freshman redshirt Makai Borden will also make his debut as a backup linebacker and special teams player. The departure of Nikolao leaves the interior defensive line in the hands of a quartet of returning letter winners. Keith Grennan (28 tackles, three sacks) and George Lane (eight tackles) are seniors, while Lance Witherspoon (14 tackles) and Gene Piffero (14 tackles) are sophomores. Lance and Gene are two young defensive tackles who have a chance to come in and be awfully good football players, said Wulff. We wanted to get them into the rotation as sophomores because we really didn t want be in the situation where our top three defensive tackles were all seniors. When you try to build a program and consistency, you want to have that balance of classes by position. Those two players allow us to do that with the return of Keith Grennan and George Lane. We have a nice balance there for growth in our program. At defensive end, returning letter winners include sophomore Jason Belford (eight tackles, two sacks), who played in only three 2005 games because of a leg injury. As a result, Greg Peach (20 tackles, one sack) saw action in 12 games as a true freshman, including five as a starter. Other defensive ends include former tight end Shawn Powell and Jacob Kragt. Kragt played in Eastern s first two games as a true freshman, but suffered a shoulder injury and was redshirted. SPECIAL TEAMS TEAMS Back are kicker Sheldon Weddle and punter Ryan Donckers. As juniors, Weddle made 11-of-17 field goals and 46-of-47 extra points, and Donckers had a 39.0 average in 38 punts. Senior Brett Bergstrom will handle kickoffs again and may challenge for the placekicking job. Charles Searcy returns after averaging 23.8 yards per kickoff return. But lost is talented punt returner Eric Kimble, who finished his career with a school-record 13.4 average per return. Eastern allowed opponents to average 23.4 yards per kickoff return and 15.1 yards per punt return. Comparatively, Eastern averaged 20.6 yards per kickoff return and 9.8 per punt return. Special teams is a big concern, said Wulff. We need to make sure we re aggressive and thorough on special teams and very solid there. We have a lot of young returning athletes who can fill that need. Special teams has to be a strength for us. 19

11 20 EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 2005 review Eagles Enjoy First-Ever Back-to-Back Titles and NCAA I-AA Playoff Berths It was another season full of firsts and records for the 2005 Eastern Washington University football team. The Eagles closed the season with a 7-5 record its seventhstraight winning season and advanced to the NCAA Division I- AA Playoffs for the second-straight year. Eastern, which has now made five total appearances in the playoffs, had never made back-to-back playoff appearances nor won back-to-back titles in 22 seasons as a member of I-AA (19 as a member of the Big Sky). Eastern finished 5-2 in the Big Sky Conference to share the league title with Montana and Montana State. The Bobcats knocked off the Grizzlies 16-6 on the final day of the regular season to give Eastern the automatic berth in the playoffs by virtue of a season sweep over UM and MSU. Eastern has now won Big Sky titles in 1992, 1997, 2004 and 2005, and has advanced to the playoffs in 1985, 1992, 1997, 2004 and The season ended in the first round of the playoffs with a loss to Northern Iowa in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Eastern s accomplishments and victories will be remembered most because of a rash of injuries the team had to overcome. A total of 20 Eagles including 15 who started at various times during the season missed games and practice time because of injuries suffered since the start of the season. In all, the injuries caused those 20 players to miss 90 total games and 55 total starts. Also, EWU s losses will be remembered most by how close the Eagles came to victory. Their four losses to I-AA teams were by a combined 17 points, including road losses at Northern Iowa (41-38), Cal Poly (40-35) and Idaho State (34-30). Eastern also suffered a loss at home to Weber Sate on Oct. 22, and a loss at I-A San Jose State to open the year. It feels good to be back-to-back Big Sky champs it has never happened before at this University, said Eagle head coach Paul Wulff. Our team earned the chance to make it into the playoffs and had to overcome more adversity in one season than any other team I can imagine. This was a good football team. We promised after last year s loss to Sam Houston that we would be back in the playoffs, and we were. Eastern set numerous school records during the year, but 2006 EAGLE FOOTBALL Home of Walter Payton Award Winner ERIK MEYER the lone team mark was for single season passing yards. The Eagles finished with 4,101 to break the previous record of 3,784 set in The E 2 passing combination of 2005 Walter Payton Awardwinning quarterback Erik Meyer to All-America wide receiver Eric Kimble broke more than a dozen records each as they rewrote Eastern s record book and made their way up Big Sky Conference and NCAA Division I-AA career listings. In addition to eight career records, Meyer also owns five single season marks and one single game record. Kimble owns nine career records and four single season marks. The single season records Meyer broke in 2005 were for passing yards (4,003), passing yards per game (333.6) and total offense (4,224), while Kimble broke the single season receptions record with 87. Meyer, with a completion percentage of.657, 10,261 yards, 84 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions in 42 career games, broke the I-AA record for efficiency rating by quarterbacks with at least 400 completions. His rating of narrowly surpassed the previous record of set by Montana s Dave Dickenson from Kimble finished with 46 touchdown receptions in his career to rank only behind the 50 the legendary Jerry Rice had at Mississippi Valley from Kimble broke the Big Sky Conference career reception yards record, with a total of 4,140 yards that ranks fourth in I-AA history. His 253 catches is eighth all-time in I-AA (second in Big Sky history). The Meyer-to-Kimble legacy will be remembered forever, as the pair hooked-up a staggering total of 201 times for 3,169 yards and 35 touchdowns in four seasons. But those numbers came in just 35 games with Meyer as the starting quarterback. That duo even hooked up the other way in the 2005 season on an 11-yard pass from Kimble to Meyer. Hendrix Sets EWU s Pass Deflections Record: Eastern senior cornerback Jesse Hendrix had a pass broken up in the final game of his career against Northern Iowa in the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs, giving him 41 to equal the school record previously set by Jackie Kellogg ( ). He finished with 14 passes broken up as a senior (second in EWU history) and was 10th in NCAA Division I-AA in passes defended. He had a total of 16 for the season (two interceptions and 14 passes bro-

12 ken up) for a 1.33 per game average. Besides his 41 passes broken up, Hendrix had five interceptions and 154 tackles in his career. He played 47 of a possible 47 games as an Eagle. Hendrix and his previously injured teammate Isaiah Trufant also made their mark in the NCAA Division I-AA record book. Hendrix is ranked second and Trufant is seventh in career passes defensed (passes broken up and interceptions). The NCAA has only collected defensive statistical data since 2000, but nonetheless, their statistics are impressive. Combined, Hendrix and Trufant had 16 interceptions, 65 passes broken up and 287 total tackles in their Eagle careers. That duo had a combined 85 games of experience, including 69 career starts for the Eagles. Hendrix did not miss a game, and Trufant missed seven two in his freshman season and six in Both have 4.3 speed in the 40-yard dash and 40-inch vertical jumps. Interesting Final Day of the Regular Season for the Eagles: Fog and an early start to the Montana at Montana State game made Nov. 19 an interesting day. The Eagles improved to 7-4 with a near shutout of UC Davis in a 24-7 non-league victory at fog-shrouded Woodward Field in Cheney, Wash. The fog became so thick in the second half that an EWU sports information student assistant had to go to the sidelines and report results of plays via cell phone back to statistics personnel in the press box. In the first quarter, the Eagles became well-aware that Montana State beat Montana 16-6 to clinch the automatic berth in the I-AA Playoffs for EWU. Eastern head coach Paul Wulff pulled most of his offensive starters just before halftime with the Eagles already leading Most defensive starters were left in to preserve the lead, and the lone score for the Aggies came on a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter. Four Amigos Join Meyer as Freshman Redshirts in 2001: When quarterback Erik Meyer redshirted in the 2001 season, so did four receivers who are his favorite targets in Eric Kimble, Richmond Sanders, Raul Vijil and walk-on Craig McIntyre finished their career with a combined 156 games of experience (74 starts), with totals of 503 catches for 7,858 yards and 74 touchdowns. Eagle seniors in 2005 included (from left) Marc Keefer (#52), Craig McIntyre (#83), Kraig Sigler (#75), Raul Vijil (#15), Eric Kimble (#32), Joey Cwik (#49), Jesse Hendrix (#29), Erik Meyer (#9), Isaiah Trufant (#36), Randy Meade (#60), Muhammad Shamsid- Deen (#42), Lars Slind (#44), Jake Young (#55) and Richmond Sanders (#1). 21

13 22 EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 2005 statistics Final Record: 7-5 (4-1 Home, 3-4 Away) Big Sky Record: 5-2/tie-1st (2-1 Home, 3-1 Away) Date Opponent Result Attendance S3 at San Jose State L, ,878 S17 Western Oregon W, ,110 S24 at *Idaho State L, ,405 O1 *Portland State W, ,902 O8 at *Northern Ariz. W, ,974 O15 at *Montana W, ,732 O22 #*Weber State L, ,696 O29 at *Sacramento St. W, ,102 N5 at Cal Poly L, ,901 N12 *Montana State W, ,399 N19 UC Davis W, ,344 N26 at $Northern Iowa L, 38, 41 7,746 *Big Sky Conference Game. #Homecoming. $NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs. TEAM STATISTICS EWU OPP FIRST DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty RUSHING YARDAGE Yards gained rushing Yards lost rushing Rushing Attempts Average Per Rush Average Per Game TDs Rushing PASSING YARDAGE Att-Comp-Int Average Per Pass Average Per Catch Average Per Game TDs Passing TOTAL OFFENSE Total Plays Average Per Play Average Per Game KICK RETURNS: #-YARDS PUNT RETURNS: #-YARDS INT RETURNS: #-YARDS KICK RETURN AVERAGE PUNT RETURN AVERAGE INT RETURN AVERAGE FUMBLES-LOST PENALTIES-YARDS Average Per Game PUNTS-YARDS Average Per Punt Net punt average TIME OF POSSESSION/GAME 31:41 28:19 3RD-DOWN CONVERSIONS 79/170 76/189 3rd-Down Pct 46% 40% 4TH-DOWN CONVERSIONS 6/16 8/20 4th-Down Pct 38% 40% SACKS BY-YARDS TOUCHDOWNS SCORED FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS PAT-ATTEMPTS ATTENDANCE Games/Avg Per Game 5/7090 7/10391 BY QUARTER 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total/Avg. Eastern Washington /35.0 Opponents / EAGLE FOOTBALL Home of Walter Payton Award Winner ERIK MEYER RUSHING G Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Av/G Ryan Cole Dale Morris Erik Meyer Toke Kefu Adam Macomber Eric Kimble Lars Slind Reggie Ford Team Alex Smart Chris Peerboom Total Opponents PASSING G Effic Att-Cmp-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Av/G Erik Meyer Chris Peerboom Alex Smart Team Eric Kimble Total Opponents RECEIVING G No. Yds Avg TD Long Av/G Eric Kimble Raul Vijil Craig McIntyre Tyler Coleman Tim Calhoun Ryan Cole Lars Slind Richmond Sanders Dale Morris Sam Togar Shawn Powell Tom McAndrews Erik Meyer Reggie Ford Chris Anderson M. Shamsid-Deen Total Opponents FIELD GOALS FG-FGA Pct Lg Blk Sheldon Weddle Casey Willis SCORING TD FGs Kick 2PR 2PC 2PP DXP Saf Pts Ryan Cole Sheldon Weddle Eric Kimble Raul Vijil Craig McIntyre Lars Slind Erik Meyer Richmond Sanders Casey Willis Marcus Walker Bryan Jarrett Tyler Coleman Dale Morris Total Opponents PUNTING No. Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 Blkd Ryan Donckers Brett Bergstrom Team Total

14 DEFENSE GP UT AT Tot TFL-Yd S-Yd Int-Yd PBU FR-Yd FF Blk 49 Joey Cwik Nick Denbeigh Brandon Keeler David Eneberg Bryan Jarrett DeNique Ford Jesse Hendrix Jake Young M. Shamsid-Deen Gregor Smith Keith Grennan Harrison Nikolao Isaiah Trufant Johnny Hanson Greg Peach Garrett Quinn Ira Jarmon Marcus Walker Lance Witherspoon Gene Piffero Shea Emry Charles Searcy Jason Belford George Lane Anthony Dotson Brett Bergstrom Adam Macomber Mark Lathim A.J. Jimmerson Mike Wolfe Marc Keefer Shawn Powell Jacob Kragt Total Opponents ALL PURPOSE G Rush Rec PR KOR IR Tot Avg Eric Kimble Raul Vijil Ryan Cole Craig McIntyre Dale Morris Charles Searcy Tyler Coleman Erik Meyer Tim Calhoun Adam Macomber Toke Kefu Richmond Sanders Lars Slind Total Opponents TOTAL OFFENSE G Plays Rush Pass Total Av/G Erik Meyer Ryan Cole Dale Morris Toke Kefu Total Opponents PUNT RETURNS No. Yds Avg TD Long Eric Kimble Charles Searcy Tyler Coleman Jacob Kragt DeNique Ford Ira Jarmon Total Opponents KICK RETURNS No. Yds Avg TD Long Charles Searcy Adam Macomber Eric Kimble DeNique Ford Dale Morris Richmond Sanders Kefu, Anderson Total Opponents INTERCEPTIONS No. Yds Avg TD Long Jesse Hendrix Marcus Walker Bryan Jarrett Jake Young Gregor Smith Cwik, Keeler, Ford Denbeigh, Eneberg Isaiah Trufant Total Opponents Eagles in I-AA Statistics: After leading NCAA Division I-AA in offense much of the year, the Eagles finished fourth with an average of yards per game. Quarterback Erik Meyer was second in I-AA in individual total offense as the Payton Award winner averaged yards per game, just behind Grambling s Bruce Eugene at per game. Meyer also finished fourth nationally in passing efficiency with a rating, and his average of passing yards per game was second. Meyer became just the 12th player in I-AA history to throw for at least 4,000 yards in a single season (he finished with 4,003). Eastern finished second in I-AA in passing offense at 341.8, just behind Grambling (357.7). Eastern finished the season as the I-AA leader in total offense in both 1997 (505.6) and 2001 (514.5), and has now led the Big Sky Conference in total offense in four of the last five years. Eastern was also 14th in scoring (35.0) and seventh in passing efficiency (161.4). The Eagles were 69th out of 116 I-AA teams in rushing (136.1 per game), up from 96th (104.0 per game) after three games. Defensively, Eastern finished 15th nationally in pass efficiency defense (103.3) after entering the playoffs ranked fifth (97.3). The Eagles finished 62nd overall in defense (363.2), 60th in rushing defense (160.1) and 45th in scoring defense (23.4). Eagle receiver Eric Kimble finished fifth in receiving yards (118.3) and fifth in receptions (7.3) per game. Raul Vijil was right behind Kimble, ranking 12th in receiving yards (90.0) and 16th in receptions (6.0). That duo ranked first and second in the Big Sky in both categories. Kimble also closed the year ranked 13th in all-purpose yards with an average of per game. Running back Ryan Cole was 31st in I-AA in scoring with an average of 7.2 points per game, and was also 71st in rushing (73.3). Sheldon Weddle was 25th in field goals (1.0 per game). Defensively, cornerback Jesse Hendrix was 10th in passes defended with a total of 16 (1.33 per game), with 14 passes broken up and two interceptions. 23

15 2006 EAGLE FOOTBALL EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY remembering E2 Home of Walter Payton Award Winner ERIK MEYER Touchdown Makers Conclude Careers with More Than 200 Pass Hookups Career Hookups Between Meyer/ Q Kimble... uarterback Erik Meyer and wide receiver Eric Kimble enjoyed illustrious careers 201 receptions/completions from that saw them find each other and the end zone at a staggering pace. 3,169 yards In 2004 and 2005, every pass that Kimble caught 35 touchdowns 170 with 31 touchdowns came from Meyer. In their careers, that duo connected 201 times for 3,169 yards and 35 touchdowns. And that doesn t include an 11-yard pass from Kimble to Meyer. Both finished among the I-AA career leaders in several categories, highlighted by the passing efficiency rating of Meyer that is a I-AA record for quarterbacks with at least 400 completions. Kimble s 46 career touchdown catches are second only to the 50 the legendary Jerry Rice had at Misssissippi Valley from In all, Meyer broke eight EWU career records, five single season marks and one single game record. Kimble set nine career records and four single season marks. marks Each player broke two Big Sky Conference career records, with M Meyer setting the passing efficiency (166.31) and interceptions-to-attempts (.015) records. Kimble broke the league s career reception yards record, with a total of 4,140 yards that ranks fourth in I-AA history. His 253 catches is eighth all-time in I-AA (second in Big Sky history). The first pass Kimble caught from Meyer came when they were redshirt freshmen Meyer as a backup on Sept. 21, 2002, on a 9-yard pass play in Eastern s victory at Southern Utah. Almost a year to the day later, they hooked-up for their first touchdown pass together in a victory over the same Southern Utah team on Sept. 20, Meyer found Kimble for a 24-yard touchdown that gave Eastern a 49-7 lead in the third quarter. Payton Award Winner & All-American ERIK MEYER (Quarterback, 6-2, 210, La Mirada, Calif.) NCAA I-AA Career Passing Efficiency Leaders... Shawn Knight, William & Mary (.658, 4,427 yards, 46 TD, 15 Int.) #Erik Meyer, Eastern Wash (.657, 10,261 yards, 84 TD, 17 Int.) Dave Dickenson, Montana (.673, 11,080 yards, 96 TD, 26 Int.) Drew Miller, Montana (.657, 5,900 yards, 46 TD, 14 Int.) #Ranks first among I-AA quarterbacks with at least 400 completions. EWU Career Records & BSC/I-AA Rankings... 1st in passing yards (10,261; 16th in I-AA and 8th in Big Sky); 1st in total offense (10,942; 14th in I-AA and 7th in Big Sky); 1st in passing efficiency (166.47, 2nd in I-AA and 1st in Big Sky); 1st in completion percentage (.657); 1st in TD Passes (84; 15th in I-AA); 1st in completions (721); 1st in attempts (1,097); 2nd in passing yards per game (244.3); 1st in total offense per game (260.5; 10th in Big Sky); 1st in rushing yards by a quarterback (681) Honors... Winner of the Walter Payton Award presented by The Sports Network (top player in NCAA Division I-AA) Offensive Player of the Year on I-AA.Org All-Star Team (just 40 players honored nationally) Offensive Back of the Year by Football Gazette Sports Network, Associated Press and FB Gazette I-AA All-America First Team (second team by the Sports Xchange) Football Gazette I-AA All-West Region First Team Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP for second-straight season Football Gazette National Off. Player of the Week (vs. N. Iowa; 25-of-44, 387 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int.) Football Gazette National Off. Player of the Week (vs. Cal Poly; 26-of-38, 428 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int.) Football Gazette National Off. Player of the Week (vs. Sac. State; 28-of-33, 470 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int.) Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week (vs. Sacramento State & Cal Poly 4 times in 2005, 7 in career) Sports Network National Off. POW (vs. #2 Montana; 28-of-40, 395 yards, 5 TD, 1 Int. 437 total offense) I-AA.org National All-Star & Football Gazette National Offensive Player of the Week (vs. #2 Montana) Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week (vs. #2 Montana) Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week (vs. Western Oregon; 22-of-34, 366 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int.) The Sports Network & I-AA.Org Preseason I-AA All-America First Team No. 1-Ranked I-AA Quarterback by The Sports Network (preseason) 2004 Honors... Fourth in voting for Walter Payton Award Associated Press & Sports Network I-AA All-America Third Team Football Gazette I-AA All-West Region First Team Big Sky Conference MVP and First Team All-Big Sky Conference Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week (versus Cal Poly and Portland State) Yards Passing Performances (total of 17; 10 of top 22 performances in school history; has 17 of the school s passing performances) *470 yards, 28-of-33, 3 TD, 0 Int. Sacramento State - 10/29/ yards, 31-of-44, 3 TD, 1 Int. Southern Illinois - 11/27/04 428, yards, 26-of-38, 3 TD, 1 Int. Cal Poly - 11/5/ yards, 21-of-32, 4 TD, 1 Int. Cal Poly - 11/6/ yards, 28-of-40, 5 TD, 1 Int. Montana - 10/15/ yards, 25-of-44, 4 TD, 0 Int. Northern Iowa - 11/26/ yards, 23-of-38, 2 TD, 1 Int. San Jose State - 9/3/ yards, 25-of-41, 5 TD, 0 Int Montana State - 11/13/ yards, 22-of-34, 3 TD, 0 Int. Western Oregon - 9/17/ yards, 31-of-47, 2 TD, 2 Int. Idaho State - 9/24/ yards, 22-of-30, 4 TD, 0 Int. Portland State - 10/2/ yards, 27-of-41, 1 TD, 2 Int. Montana - 10/16/ yards, 23-of-31, 2 TD, 0 Int. Northern Arizona - 10/8/ yards, 26-of-42, 4 TD, 0 Int. Idaho State - 10/4/ yards, 22-of-29, 5 TD, 0 Int. Central Washington - 9/13/ yards, 20-of-34, 1 TD, 0 Int. Weber State - 10/22/ yards, 22-of-33, 2 TD, 0 Int. Northern Arizona - 10/18/03 *Including 3 rushing yards, had a career-high of 473 yards of offense.

16 2004 & 2005 All-American ERIC KIMBLE (Wide Receiver, 5-11, 200, Tacoma, Wash.) NCAA I-AA Career Receiving TD Leaders... Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley (41 games) Eric Kimble, Eastern Washington (46 games) EWU Career Records & BSC/I-AA Rankings... 1st in touchdown receptions (46; also Big Sky record and 2nd in NCAA I-AA); 1st in receptions (253; 8th in I-AA and 2nd in Big Sky; his average of 5.5 catches per game is 10th in Big Sky); 1st in reception yards (4,140; also Big Sky record and 4th in I-AA); 1st in all-purpose yards (5,934; 18th in I-AA and 5th in Big Sky); 4th in all-purpose yards per game (129.0); 1st in touchdowns (54); 1st in scoring (328; 15th in I-AA history among non-kickers and 6th in the Big Sky among all players); 1st in punt return yards (990); 1st in punt return average (13.4; 23rd in I-AA); 1st in punt returns (74) Honors I-AA All-America First Team by The Sports Network & Sports Xchange (second team by Associated Press and the Football Gazette) I-AA.Org All-Star Team (just 40 players honored nationally) Football Gazette I-AA All-West Region (first team as wide receiver, second team all-purpose) Unanimous First Team All-Big Sky Conference (was a second team choice as a freshman and sophomore and first team selection as a junior and senior) Walter Payton Award Watch List The Sports Network, I-AA.Org and Street & Smith s Preseason I-AA All-America No. 1-Ranked I-AA Wide Receiver by The Sports Network (preseason) 2004 Honors I.AA.Org All-Star Team (just 40 players honored nationally) Associated Press I-AA All-America Second Team Sports Network I-AA All-America Second Team Football Gazette I-AA All-West Region First Team (as wide receiver) Football Gazette I-AA All-West Region Third Team (as kick returner) First Team All-Big Sky Conference (as both a wide receiver and return specialist) Sports Network National Player of the Week (versus Montana State) Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week (versus Montana State and Northern Arizona) Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week (versus Central Washington) 100+ Yards Receiving Performances (total of 19; nine of top 29 performances in school history; 13 of the school s 59 performances of at least 125 yards) 10 catches, 196 yards, 3 TD Montana State - 11/13/04 11 catches, 195 yards, 3 TD Southern Illinois - 11/27/04 10 catches, 189 yards, 2 TD Sacramento State - 10/29/05 10 catches, 168 yards, 1 TD Montana - 10/15/05 5 catches, 165 yards, 3 TD Northern Arizona - 10/9/04 10 catches, 161 yards, 1 TD Portland State - 10/2/04 9 catches, 155 yards, 2 TD Northern Iowa - 11/26/05 7 catches, 153 yards, 2 TD Northern Arizona - 10/19/02 9 catches, 151 yards, 3 TD Cal Poly - 11/6/04 6 catches, 145 yards, 2 TD Western Oregon - 9/17/05 6 catches, 136 yards, 0 TD Weber State - 10/22/05 5 catches, 136 yards, 2 TD Montana - 11/16/02 4 catches, 127 yards, 1 TD Southern Utah - 9/20/03 9 catches, 118 yards, 0 TD San Jose State - 9/3/05 3 catches, 118 yards, 1 TD Idaho State - 9/25/04 9 catches, 110 yards, 2 TD Air Force - 9/11/04 8 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD Cal Poly - 11/5/05 4 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD Weber State - 11/2/02 7 catches, 100 yards, 0 TD Montana State - 11/9/02 MEYER/KIMBLE CAREER STATISTICS Erik Meyer RUSHING G Att Yds TD Lg Avg/C Avg/G TOTAL PASSING G Att Cmp Int Yds TD Lg Pct Avg/G Effic TOTAL Eric Kimble RUSHING G Att Yds TD Lg Avg/C Avg/G TOTAL RECEIVING G Rec Yds TD Lg Rec/G Avg/C Avg/G TOTAL PUNT RET. G No. Yds TD Lg Avg/R Avg/G TOTAL KICK RET. G No. Yds TD Lg Avg/R Avg/G TOTAL ALL PURPOSE G Rush Rec PR KR IR Total Avg/G TOTAL SCORING G TD Rush Pass Retn PAT 2PAT FG Total Avg/G TOTAL