Football 3/24/2009 12:00:00 AM DSU Athletic Media Relations

HORNETS BEGIN SPRING FOOTBALL CAMP

Dover (Mar. 24, 2009) --- The Delaware State University football team returns to the field tomorrow for the start of 2009 spring camp. Head coach Al Lavan's sixth spring camp at DSU will feature 15 sessions and conclude with the annual Red/White scrimmage on April 18 at Alumni Stadium (2:30 pm).

Delaware State returns 12 starters and 41 letterwinners from its 2008 squad, which won its last two games to post a 5-6 overall record and 5-3 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The Hornet offense will have seven returning starters participating in spring drills, including four offensive linemen. Center Nick Richmond (r-sr. 6-3/300), along with guards Kellen Kemp (sr. 6-3/315) and Jermaine Morrison (sr. 6-3/330), and tackle Mike Maloney (sr. 6-6/290) have combined for nearly 100 starts along the offensive line.

This year's spring camp will also feature a battle to replace four-year starting quarterback Vashon Winton, who compiled a 33-14 record as a starter at DSU, including 25-6 vs. MEAC opponents. Winston ended his career last season as No. 2 on the Hornets' all-time lists for passing yards (6,595), completions (520) and touchdown passes (38). He also rushed for 1,144 yards and 25 touchdowns the last four years.

Anthony Glaud (r-jr. 6-3/215), who appeared in eight games with the Hornets after transferring from Bowling Green last summer, will compete with former Maryland high school all-star Nick Elko (r-fr. 6-2/200) and Boston College transfer Chris Johnson (r-so. 6-2/215), who enrolled at Delaware State in January. Elko is in his second year with the program, while Johnson was recruited by a number of major colleges after a standout career at John F. Kennedy High School in New Jersey.

On defense, the Hornets will have just four returning starters in camp. Strong safety Avery Grant (jr. 5-11/180) is tops among returning players with 68 total tackles last season. Grant was also tied for the team lead with 8.5 tackles-for-loss in 2008. Tackle Andre Carroll ( r-jr. 6-2/280) was sixth on the team, and second among returning players with 41 tackles last season. Free safety Jerome Strums also returns. He had 40 tackles and was tied for second in the team with three interceptions in 2008. The linebacker corps will be headed by three-year starter John Pope (r-sr. 6-1/230), who had 32 tackles last season and 144 for his career.

The Hornets will also have returning placekicker Riley Flickinger (sr. 5-9/240) and punter Nick Lochner (sr. 6-1/170) in camp this spring.

Delaware State will kick-off the 2009 season vs. MEAC rival Florida A&M on Sep. 5 in Tallahassee, Florida. The '09 slate also includes the first regular season meeting with the University of Delaware on Sep. 19 at UD Stadium in Newark, and a clash against the Michigan Wolverines on Oct. 17 in Ann Arbor, Mich.