8/2/2004 - Football
2004 Navy Football Media Day Release

Files associated with this release:
2004 Media Day Release
Depth Chart
Navy Roster
Stats

Mids Begin Practice For 2004 Season
Coming off its most successful season in seven years, the Navy football
team is excited about the prospects of an even better season in 2004.
The Mids return 42 letterwinners off last year's squad, including 15
starters. Navy returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense.
The team will being practicing Friday, Aug. 6 at 4 p.m. It will practice
at least once per day except Aug. 22, Aug. 28 and Aug. 29 leading up to the
Duke game. Two-a-day practices will be held Aug. 11, Aug. 13, Aug. 16 and
Aug. 18. All practices are open leading up to game week. Thursday
practices are closed before a Saturday game.

2004 NAVY FOOTBALL PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Date Time Location
Aug. 6 4-6:30 p.m. Academy
Aug. 7 4-6:30 p.m. Academy
Aug. 8 4-6:30 p.m. Academy
Aug. 9 4-6:30 p.m. Academy
Aug. 10 4-6:30 p.m. Academy
Aug. 11 9-11 a.m. Academy
Aug. 11 4-6:30 p.m. Academy
Aug. 12 4-6:30 p.m. Academy
Aug. 13 9-11 a.m. Academy
Aug. 13 4:15-6:15 Academy
Aug. 14 9:30-11:30 a.m. (scrimmage) Navy-Marine Corps
Aug. 15 4-6 p.m. Academy
Aug. 16 9-11 a.m. Academy
Aug. 16 4:15-6:15 p.m. Academy
Aug. 17 4-6:30 p.m. Academy
Aug. 18 9-11 a.m. Academy
Aug. 18 4:15-6:15 p.m. Academy
Aug. 19 4-6 p.m. Academy
Aug. 20 4-6 p.m. Academy
Aug. 21 9:30-11:30 a.m. (scrimmage) Navy-Marine Corps
Aug. 23 4-6 p.m. Academy
Aug. 24 4-6 p.m. Academy
Aug. 25 4-6 p.m. Academy
Aug. 26 4-6 p.m. Academy
Aug. 27 4-6 p.m. (scrimmage) Navy-Marine Corps
Aug. 30 GAME WEEK Academy

Preseason Predictions
Preseason magazines have projected varying degrees of success for the 2004
Navy football team. Below is a recap of what the magazines predict.

Magazine Rank (out of 117) Record
Athlon 60th 6-1(four toss-ups)
The Sporting News 69th 9-2
College Sports Report 81st 7-4
College Football News 85th 8-3


It was a dream season for the 2003 Midshipmen. Below is a list of some of
the teams accomplishments:

? Navy posted an 8-5 record and played in the EV1.Net Houston Bowl after
struggling to a 3-30 record the previous three years, the worst three-year
stretch in the 122-year history of Navy football.

? It was Navy's third winning season in the last 20 years and just the ninth
winning season in the last 40 years. The eight wins tied for the third-most
wins in the last 40 years at the Naval Academy.

? The eight wins equaled the win total of the previous four years combined.

? Navy defeated Air Force for the first time since 1996 and won the
Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for the first time since 1981.

? The Mids led the nation in rushing, averaging 323.2 yards per contest.
Navy rushed for a school-record 4,202 yards, averaged a school-record 5.5
yards per attempt, a school-record 323.2 yards per game and rushed for a
school-record 44 touchdowns.

? The Mids gained a school-record 5,506 yards of total offense. The
previous record was 4,684 yards. Navy also averaged a school-record 423.5
yards per game of total offense and a school-record 6.0 yards per play.

? Navy's victory over then-No. 25 Air Force was the first over a ranked
opponent since 1985 and broke a 35-game losing streak against ranked
opponents.

? Navy won four games at home after winning just three home games the
previous five years combined.

? Navy went from 2-10 to 8-5, an improvement of 5.5 games, the second-best
turnaround in the country.

? Thanks to Johnson's potent triple option offense, Navy was just the second
team in NCAA history to have four players on the same team produce over
1,000-career yards rushing.

? The EV1.net Houston Bowl was Navy's first bowl game since 1996 and just
the school's second bowl game in 22 years.

? Navy became just the sixth team in NCAA history to go from winless to a
bowl game in two years or less.

Johnson Receives Accolades
There is no disputing the fact that Navy head football coach Paul Johnson
did one of the best coaching jobs in the country in 2003. Johnson took over
a program that had recorded a 1-20 mark the previous two years, the worst
two-year stretch in school history, and turned it into a bowl team in just
two years.
Johnson was recognized nationally for his coaching performance, as he was a
finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award, presented by the
Football Writers Association of America, and for the Paul ?Bear? Bryant
Coach of the Year award, presented by the National Sportscasters and
Sportswriters Association. He finished fifth in the Associated Press
Coach-of- the-Year balloting.

Future Looks Bright
Of the 68 players listed on the depth chart for the EV1.net Houston Bowl,
53 return this year.
The breakdown includes: all six wide receivers, three-of-five offensive
tackles, three-of-five offensive guards, one-of-two centers, five-of-six
slot backs, two-of-three fullbacks, two-of-three quarterbacks, five-of-six
defensive ends, all three nose guards, five-of-six outside linebackers,
five-of-six inside linebackers, five-of-six cornerbacks, four-of-six
safeties and four-of-six specialists (including only those that weren't
listed on the depth chart at a specific position, i.e. Jason Tomlinson).
Of the 36 different players that started last year, 23 will return,
including 15 that started the majority of the year.

Mids One Of The Nation's Most Improved Teams In 2003
The Navy football team's improvement in 2003 tied for the second-best
turnaround in the country. The Mids finished the 2002 campaign with a 2-10
record and improved to 8-5 this year, an improvement of 5.5 games (1/2 game
for each win and 1/2 game for each loss).
Tulsa, who Navy will play on Sept. 18, was the most improved team in the
country, going from 1-11 to 8-5, an improvement of 6.5 games.

Most Improved Teams In 2003
School 2002 Record 2003 Record Improvement
1. Tulsa 1-11 8-5 +6.5
2. Navy 2-10 8-5 +5.5
2. Memphis 3-9 9-4 +5.5
4. Miami (Ohio) 7-5 13-1 +5.0
5. Utah 5-6 10-2 +4.5
5. LSU 8-5 13-1 +4.5

Navy Looks To Defend Rushing Crown
The Mids led the nation in rushing in 2003, averaging 323.2 yards per
game. It is just the second time in school history that Navy has led the
country in rushing. The only other time was in 1999 when the Mids averaged
292.2 yards per game.

NCAA Leaders In Rushing Yards Per Game
1. Navy 323.23
2. Rice 316.67
3. Minnesota 289.15
4. Air Force 280.58
5. Arkansas 241.92
6. Missouri 237.46
7. Nebraska 235.62
8. Texas 232.54
9. Kansas State 228.60
10. Louisville 228.15

Roberts Closing In On School First
Senior slot back Eric Roberts (Miami, Fla.) is closing in on the the
1,000-yard mark for both rushing and receiving in his career. He has 1,061
yards rushing and 922 yards receiving.
Roberts needs just 78 yards receiving this season to become the first
player in school history to gain more than 1,000-career yards rushing and
receiving.

Eric The Great
Slot back Eric Roberts (Miami, Fla.) made big play after big play in 2003.
Roberts scored five touchdowns last year of 40 yards or more, including two
against Central Michigan when he had a 45-yard touchdown run and an 86-yard
touchdown reception.
His 86-yard touchdown reception off a pass thrown by Craig Candeto was the
second-longest pass play in school history and the fifth-longest play from
scrimmage in school history. The longest pass play in school history was an
87-yard pass from Chris McCoy to Matt Scornavacchi in 1995 against Tulane.
The longest play from scrimmage was a 93-yard run by John Sai against Duke
in 1963.
Roberts' 69-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against Rice was the
longest by a Navy player since Sept. 25, 1999, when Raheem Lambert had a
79-yard touchdown run against Rice.
Roberts finished with five touchdown catches on the year, the fifth most in
school history. His seven-career touchdown catches are the fifth most in
school history.
Roberts has six-career multi-touchdown days, including four in 2003.

Touchdown Catches In A Season
1. Ryan Read (1998) 6
Chris Weiler (1984) 6
Phil McConkey (1978) 6
Rob Taylor (1967) 6
5. Eric Roberts (2003) 5

Touchdown Catches In A Career
1. Phil McConkey (1975-78) 13
Rob Taylor (1965-67) 13
3. Chris Weiler (1981-84) 8
Ron Beagle (1953-55) 8
5. Eric Roberts (2002-current) 7

Roberts Chasing Former Teammate For Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt Record
Senior slot back Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) is chasing former teammate
Tony Lane for the school record for career yards per carry (minimum 100
attempts).
Lane averaged a school-record 8.9 yards per carry in his career, rushing
for 1,288 yards on 144 carries.
Roberts enters his senior year averaging 8.6 yards per carry in his career,
rushing for 1,099 yards on 127 carries.

Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt
(minimum 100 attempts)
1. Tony Lane (2001-03) 8.9
2. Eric Roberts (2002-current) 8.6
3. Bob Craig (1952-54) 5.7
4. Joe Gattuso (1952-54) 5.5
5. Ned Oldham (1955-57) 5.2

Roberts Holds Career Record For Yards Per Reception; Appears Twice On
Single-Season List
Eric Roberts (Sr./Miami, Fla.) is the school record holder for yards per
reception in a career and stands second and fourth in yards per reception in
a season.
Roberts is averaging 24.9 yards per catch in his career, catching 37 passes
for 920 yards. The previous record was 19.3 yards per reception by Jim
Stewart (1960-62)
In 2003, Roberts had 20 catches for 493 yards (24.6 average), many of them
spectacular, and five touchdowns. The 24.6 average is the fourth-best
single-season average in school history.
In 2002, Roberts averaged 25.2 yards per catch, the second-best
single-season average in school history.

Career Yards Per Reception
1. Eric Roberts (2002-03) 24.9
2. Jim Stewart (1960-62) 19.3
3. Matt Scornavacchi (1993-95) 19.2
4. Phil McConkey (1975-78) 19.1

Single-Season Yards Per Reception
1. Ryan Read (1998) 25.5
2. Eric Roberts (2002) 25.2
3. Phil McConkey (1978) 24.8
4. Eric Roberts (2003) 24.6
5. Pat McGrew (1997) 22.6

Eckel, Eckel, Eckel
Senior fullback Kyle Eckel's (Havertown, Pa.) hard-nosed running style has
developed a cult following among the Brigade of Midshipmen. The student body
chanted his name in unison every time he touched the ball in 2003, which was
often and for big gains.
Eckel was named the Philadelphia Sportswriters Most Valuable Player for
his 152-yard, two-touchdown performance against Army. It was his
third-straight two-touchdown day and the fourth of the season.
Eckel ran over the Air Force defense for a career-high 176 yards (previous
career high was 129 this year against VMI) on a career-high 33 carries
(previous career high was 18) and scored one touchdown in Navy's upset of
the Falcons.
His 176 yards rushing against Air Force were the most by a non-quarterback
at Navy since Chuck Smith rushed for 182 yards against Dartmouth in 1986.
Eckel rushed for over 100 yards seven times in 2003 (VMI, Rutgers, Air
Force, Vanderbilt, Tulane, Central Michigan and Army), tied for the fourth
most in school history, after not topping the century mark in 2002.
Last year, he became the first Navy player to rush for over 100 yards in
three-straight games since Brian Madden did it in 2001, and became the first
non-quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in three-straight games since
current Navy radio analyst Omar Nelson did it against SMU, Boston College
and Duke in 1996.
Eckel carried the ball 236 times in 2003 and lost yardage on just three of
those carries, all of which were one-yard losses.

Most 100-Yard Rushing Games In A Season
1. Napoleon McCalllum (1985) 8
Napoleon McCallum (1983) 8
Eddie Meyers (1981) 8
4. Kyle Eckel (2003) 7
Joe Gattuso Jr. (1977) 7

Eckel Rushes For 1,000 Yards
Navy fullback Kyle Eckel (Sr./Haverford, Pa.) cracked the 1,000-yard mark
in 2003 when he rushed for 167 yards against Central Michigan. He became
just the eighth player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season
and the first since Chris McCoy in 1997. He was the first non-quarterback to
rush for 1,000 yards since Napoleon McCallum in 1985.


Navy Single-Season Rushing Leaders
1. Napoleon McCallum (1983) 1,587
2. Chris McCoy (1997) 1,370
3. Napoleon McCallum (1985) 1,327
4. Eddie Meyers (1981) 1,318
5. Joe Gattuso Jr. (1977) 1,292
6. Kyle Eckel (2003) 1,249
7. Chris McCoy (1996) 1,228
8. Craig Candeto (2003) 1,112
9. Cleveland Cooper (1972) 1,046
10. Eddie Meyers (1980) 957


Eckel On Career Rushing List
Fullback Kyle Eckel (Sr./Haverford, Pa.) enters his senior season with
1,759 yards career rushing, the ninth most in school history. If Eckel can
duplicate his junior campaign, he could become just the third player in
school history to rush for over 3,000 yards in a career.

Navy Career Rushing Leaders
1. Napoleon McCallum (1981-85) 4,179
2. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 3,401
3. Eddie Meyers (1978-81) 2,935
4. Cleveland Cooper (1972-74) 2,582
5. Alton Grizzard (1987-90) 2,174
6. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 1,949
7. Joe Gattuso Jr. (1975-77) 1,890
8. Brian Madden (1999, 2001) 1,802
9 Kyle Eckel (2002-03) 1,759
10. Chuck Smith (1984-87) 1,744

Eckel Selected To Play In East-West Shrine Game
Senior fullback Kyle Eckel (Haverford, Pa.) has been invited to the
prestigious East-West Shrine All-Star Game, which will take place Jan. 15 at
2 p.m. (EST) at SBC Park in San Francisco. The game will be televised
nationally by ESPN.
Eckel is the 18th Navy player, and the fourth in four years, to be invited
to the game in the 80-year history of the event.

Eckel Ranked As The Second Best Fullback In The Country By The Sporting News
Senior fullback Kyle Eckel (Haverford, Pa.) was ranked as the second best
fullback in the country by The Sporting News. Senior Zach Tuiasosopo of
Washington was ranked first.

Top 10 Fullbacks
1. Zach Tuiasosopo, Washington, 6-2, 250, Sr.
2. Kyle Eckel, Navy, 5-11, 240, Sr.
3. Brian Leonard, Rutgers, 6-2, 230, So.
4. Kevin Dudley, Michigan, 6-1, 237, Sr.
5. Jeremy Thomas, Georgia, 5-11, 249, Sr.
6. Matt Bernstein, Wisconsin, 6-2, 264, Jr.
7. Matthew Tant, Vanderbilt, 5-11, 236, Jr.
8. Brandon Joe, Ohio State, 6-0, 245, Sr.
9. B.J. Dean, Florida State, 5-11, 258, Jr.
10. John Pannozzo, Indiana, 5-11, 230, Jr.

Slot Backs Make Big Plays
In the triple option, the slot backs tend to touch the ball less than the
fullback and the quarterback, but when they do get their hands on it, the
result is usually a big play.
The Navy slot backs rushed for 1,449 yards on 148 carries (9.8 yards per
carry) and 14 touchdowns (one every 10.6 carries) in 2003.
The slots were led on the ground by Eric Roberts (Sr./Miami, Fla), who
rushed for 630 yards and five touchdowns on 69 carries (9.1 yards per
carry).
The slots also proved dangerous through the air, catching 31 passes for 677
yards (21.8 yards per catch) and five touchdowns (one every 6.2 catches).
Roberts led the way with 20 catches for 493 yards (24.7 yards per catch)
and five touchdowns.
All told, the slots touched the ball 179 times (rushing and receiving) and
gained 2,114 yards (11.8 yards per touch) and scored 18 touchdowns in 2003.

Backfield Ranked 16th Best In The Country
The Navy backfield (fullbacks and slot backs) has been ranked the 16th-
best backfield in the nation by Phil Steele's College Football Preview
Magazine.
The Mids' running game is led by senior fullback and All-America candidate
Kyle Eckel (Haverford, Pa.), who rushed for 1,249 yards and 10 touchdowns
last fall as he helped lead the Midshipmen to an 8-5 record, a berth in the
Houston Bowl and victories over Air Force and Army that brought the
Commander-In-Chief's Trophy back to Annapolis for the first time since 1981.
Eckel enters his senior campaign as the ninth-leading rusher in school
history with 1,759 yards and has a chance to become just the third player in
school history, joining Napoleon McCallum and Chris McCoy, to rush for
3,000-career yards.
Eckel isn't the only All-America candidate in Navy's backfield as senior
slot back Eric Roberts (Miami, Fla.) has made big plays with stunning
regularity over the last two seasons. Roberts is one of the most explosive
players to ever play at the Naval Academy, a statement that is backed up by
the video game-like numbers he has put up over his career. Roberts enters
his senior year averaging 8.6 yards per carry, the second-best average in
school history, and a school-record 24.9 yards per catch. Roberts, who has
had six games in which he has scored two touchdowns in a game, needs just 78
yards receiving to become the first player in school history to surpass the
1,000-yard barrier rushing and receiving.
The backfield, though, is more than just Eckel and Roberts. The Mids are
stocked at fullback, a position that may be Navy's strongest, with senior
Michael Brimage (Birmingham, Ala.), sophomore Matt Hall (Cape Coral, Fla.)
and junior Marvin Dingle (Coronado, Calif.).
Brimage showed what he could do when healthy in 2002, when he rushed for
171 yards and a touchdown in Navy's near upset win at Wake Forest.
Hall, considered to be the heir apparent to Eckel at fullback, may have
been the most impressive player in Navy's spring drills as he showed a
toughness to run inside and the speed to get away from defenders once he
pops through the line. Not to be forgotten is Dingle, who may be the most
physically gifted of the group.
Roberts will get help at slot back from senior Frank Divis (Avon, Ohio),
sophomore Trey Hines (Douglassville, Ga.), junior Marco Nelson (Scottsdale,
Ariz.), senior Ryan Barry (Raleigh, N.C.) and sophomore Byron McCoy
(Liberty, Mo.).
Divis is one of the fastest players on the team, covering the 40-yard dash
in 4.42 seconds, and is the best blocker among the slot backs.
After a productive freshman campaign that saw him score three touchdowns on
13 carries, Hines is expected to have a big impact in 2004. Hines has the
speed and hands to challenge Roberts' career numbers before he leaves
Annapolis.
Though small in stature, Nelson should not be overlooked. The 5-8, 185-
pound slot had a big spring capped off by a four-catch, 102-yard performance
in the spring game.
McCoy could be the sleeper of the group this year as he played junior
varsity ball as a freshman, but he possesses good speed and can catch the
ball out of the backfield. McCoy is a star in the classroom as well, pulling
down a perfect 4.0 in his freshman year. Barry is hard-nosed player who will
provide depth at slot and will be a key special teams performer.

TOP 20 BACKFIELDS IN THE COUNTRY
1. Kansas State
2. USC
3. LSU
4. Auburn
5. Texas
6. Louisville
7. NC State
8. Minnesota
9. Syracuse
10. Memphis
11. Miami (Fla.)
12. Florida State
13. Virginia
14. Tennessee
15. Wisconsin
16. Navy
17. Florida
18. South Carolina
19. Georgia
20. Maryland

Mids Tough In The Red Zone
Navy scored on 48 of its 59 trips inside the red zone (.814) last year,
with 40 of those scores resulting in touchdowns (.678).
The Mids were great inside the red zone over the last eight games, scoring
on 35-of-41 opportunities (.854), including 29 touchdowns (.707).
The defense gave up 37 scores in the opponents 50 trips inside its 20
(.740), with 30 of those scores being touchdowns (.600).

Creating Turnovers
The Navy defense has created at least one turnover in 19 of the last 20
games. The Mids' streak of 16-straight games causing a turnover ended last
Nov. 8 at Notre Dame.

Defense Comes Ready To Play
The Navy defense gave up just three touchdowns last year in the first
quarter and only once did a team score on its initial drive (Central
Michigan).

Touchdown Trey
Sophomore slot back Trey Hines (Douglasville, Ga.) scored three rushing
touchdowns on just 13 carries in 2003.

Turnovers Cause Losses
Over the last two years, Navy is 5-0 when it plays a game without
committing a turnover and 5-15 when it turns the ball over at least once.

Leading At The Half Is Key
Navy was 7-1 in 2003 when leading at the half and 1-4 when trailing.

Quick Strike Offense
People unfamiliar with the triple option may think of it as a ground it out
offense that can't score quickly. Those people would be sadly mistaken. The
Mids scored 17 of their 52 (.326) touchdowns in 2003 in five plays or less.

Winning At Home. Finally!
Navy won four home games in 2003 (VMI, Eastern Michigan, Tulane and Central
Michigan), one more home win than it had produced the previous FIVE years
combined. The Mids won two home games in 1998, one in 1999 and none from
2000-02.
The four home wins are the most by a Navy team since 1997 when the Mids won
five games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Johnson Unique
Navy head football coach Paul Johnson is one of just six Division I-A head
coaches that did not play college football. The other five are David
Cutcliffe (Ole Miss), Dennis Franchione (Texas A&M), Mike Leach (Texas
Tech), Mark Mangino (Kansas) and Dean Pees (Kent State).