1998 FOOTBALL PROSPECTUS &

Eastern Kentucky University head football coach Roy Kidd returns 14 starters among the 31 lettermen coming back for the 1998 season as he begins his 35th year at the helm of the Colonel program.

EKU is coming off an 8-4 season that saw Eastern win its 18th Ohio Valley Conference championship with a perfect 7-0 record. Eastern also participated in the NCAA I-AA playoffs for an unprecedented 17th time and finished the year ranked 15th in the nation in both The Sports Network and the USA Today/ESPN polls

Eastern will return a veteran offense where nine of 11 starters are coming back for the Colonels, headlined by four returning first-team AII-OVC performers from 1997 that were a big reason why EKU led the league in total offense (396.0), rushing offense (198.3) and scoring offense (33.5).

These all-conference choices returning on offense include senior wide receiver Ronde! Menendez (5-9 1/2, 176); junior tailback Derick Logan (6-0, 218); senior guard/tackle Tyrone Hopson (6-3, 309) who was also named third-team Associated Press AllAmerican last year; and junior guard Josh Hunter (6-2 , 280)

Menendez set a new school record for most yards receiving in a single season with 1,137, while hauling in a team-leading 54 catches for nine touchdowns He finished the '97 year as the third-ranked receiver in the conference and now has career marks at Eastern of 98 receptions for 1,958 yards and 16 TD's Logan, who began his collegiate career by garnering Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year honors at the University of Kentucky in 1996, followed that up last season by leading the Colonels in rushing with 849 yards in 175 carries, while scoring 11 touchdowns rushing , good enough for a th i rd-place ranking in final OVC stats

Other starters back on offense for Eastern include senior center Reggie Myrtil (6-1 1/2, 301) who missed most of the '97 season with a knee injury; junior tackle Charlie Watkins (6-2, 283); senior tackle Eliott Henderson (6-31 /2, 300); junior fullback Jonathan Butler (5-9 1/2, 220); and senior tight end Tony DeGregorio (6-3 , 251 ) .

Butler picked up 193 yards in 44 carries and scored five TD's and caught five passes for 89 yards and a score in 1997.

DeGregorio added six receptions for 62 yards last season

Another key returnee on offense for the Colonels is sophomore tailback Corey Crume (5-11 1/2, 217) who split time with Logan when healthy While playing in nine of the team's 12 games , he actually led the Colonels in rushing yards per game (82.1) as he picked up 739 yards on the ground in 148 carries and scored a teambest 13 touchdowns.

Back to battle for the starting quarterback job is sophomore Waylon Chapman (6-2 1/2, 228) who provided backup for last season's OVC Co-Offensive Player of the Year Simon Fuentes In six games, Chapman hit 29-56 passes (.518 percentage) for 389 yards and two touchdowns. Battling him for the starting nod will be junior college transfer Chad Collins (6-0, 187) who came to Eastern in January , 1998, and record-setting quarterback Jon Denton, a 63 , 210-pound junior who transferred to EKU from Nevada-Las Vegas in late July.

Also returning is third-team ta i lback Brian Durham (5-9, 191) who played in eight games in 1997 and pickect up 360 yards in 88 carries and scored three TD's; senior fullback Jonas Hill (511, 236) who gained 73 yards in 16 carries with one TD; senior widereceiver Brian Brenneman (6-0 1/2, 195) who caught 13 catches for 159 yards and a TD; and sophomore wideout Alexander Bannister (6-5, 182), six receptions for 43 yards in '97.

Other lettermen suiting up in 1998 for the Colonels on offense are part-time starters, junior Toby Coyle (6-1, 271) and senior Chris Holder (6-2 , 285) at center; senior Jason Worley (66 1/2, 321) at tackle; and sophomore Brett O'Buck (6-3, 270) Redshirt freshmen on offense who will be available for duty in 1998 are tackle Bennie Wyatt (6-7, 279) , tackle Howard Jones (6-11 /2, 330), guard Jacob Johnson (6-2, 1/2293) and guard Brent Fox (6-3, 255).

Defensively , four starters return to a Colonel unit that led the conference in scoring defense (13.4) and pass efficiency defense in 1997. Although all four starters in the Colonels' secondary have graduated, these defensive starters are led by second-team AII-OVC choice, senior tackle Justin Ernest (6-3, 271 ), and honorable mention all-conference junior tackle Jason Muchow (6-0, 303).

Ernest totaled 33 solo tackles, 26 assists , 13 5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season, while Muchow is the leading returning tackler for the Colonels this season from the '97 club with his totals of 43 solos, 32 assists , 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks Other starters coming back on defense include senior linebacker Charles Tinsley (6-0, 213), 46 solos, 25 assists, two caused fumbles, 5 TFL, and sophomore linebacker Butch Printup (6-0, 207), 15 solos, 19 assists, 4 TFL, 2 sacks and two fumble recoveries. Also returning for his senior season is starting punter Stephen Brown (5-10 1/2 , 210) who averaged 37 6 yards per punt.

The Colonels' efforts on defense in '98 will be bolstered by the return of sophomore strong safety Scooter Asel (6-0 , 205) , who received a medical redshirt after suffering a season-ending knee injury last season in the opener at Troy State Asel was a firstteam AII-OVC pick in 1996 after finishing 12th in the league in hits (67 solos, 29 assists) and tied for fifth in interceptions with four

Backup ends Kenneth "Shorty" Combs (6-1, 235, junior) and Terry Thomas (6-1 1/2, 250, junior) will contest for a starting spot at end, along with mid -year University of Kentucky transfer Anthony Watson (6-3, 244, junior).

Other lettermen returning on defense are senior defensive back Dedric Campbell (5-8 , 168) ; junior free safety Shawn Gallant (6-0, 200); junior linebacker Brad Folke (5-11, 233) ; junior linebacker Brent Hampton (5-10 1/2, 198); senior linebacker Luke Morton (6-0, 202); sophomore linebacker Adam Rader (6-0 , 207) ; junior linebacker Travis Schoenlaub (6-0, 220).

Redshirts who will be attempting to gain some playing time in '98 include end Randy Lawrence (6-0 1/2 , 240) who received a medical redshirt after being injured early in the year; defensive backs Derrick White (5-8, 181 ), J.D Jewell (5-11, 187), Nick Sullivan (6-2 1/2, 214) and Tomma Huguely (5-10, 176); linebacker Chris Huff (6-0 1/2, 208); and tackle David Heady (6-4 1/2, 272) .

Four Colonels who contributed but did not letter in 1997 and who will return for 1998 are sophomore center Lewis Diaz (61, 258) , sophomore linebacker Billy Wright (6-1 1/2 , 202) , sophomore tight end Tom Mabey (6-1, 235), and sophomore cornerback Kris Nevels (5-9, 165)

Kidd, who is currently third among active Division I and IAA coaches in coaching victories with 280, and his staff signed 22 high school and junior college recruits as additions to the 1998 roster.