FIU recruits three from ‘Florida’s top 100′ players in the state, including 4-star recruit, Larvez “Pooh Bear” Mars.
By Grant Smith
FIU head football coach Mario Cristobal announced his 2009 Signing Class of 23 players on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at FIU Stadium. The list included 20 players from the state of Florida, including Larvez “Pooh Bear” Mars, the first-ever 4-star recruit to sign with FIU.
“We are all fired up about this year’s recruiting class,” Cristobal said. “We won several recruiting battles against the big boys, including the SEC, ACC, C-USA and our own conference. The number one goal of recruiting every season is to fulfill your needs and enhance your strengths as they are already. We feel with this year’s class we have done that already and then some.”
This year’s class includes 11 offensive players, 11 defensive players and one special team’s player. Of the 20 players from Florida, 12 are from Miami-Dade County alone. Every single player in this year’s class was also a team captain for their respective school, and all 23 recruits were All-District players.
Cristobal and the rest of FIU celebrated the new class Wednesday night in the Stadium Club at FIU’s new stadium. Once the room was filled, the lights went out and everyone cheered at a highlight reel of big hits and touchdown passes courtesy of the Golden Panther football team. Afterwards, Cristobal roused fans with his speech about the new powerhouse in South Florida and introduced the incoming freshmen with thrilling game tapes of the recruits in high school. Fans left feeling excited and eager for the 2009 season to begin, which officially starts on September 12 in Alabama against the Crimson Tide.
2009 FIU FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS
Name Pos. Ht/Wt School/City |
Rupert Bryan OL 6-3, 260 Glades Central/South Bay, Fla. |
Wesley Carroll QB 6-1, 195 Miss. St./St. Thomas Aquinas/Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. |
Jonathan Cyprien, STY 6-1, 210 North Miami Beach/North Miami Beach, Fla. |
Kenneth Dillard LB 6-1, 210 Miami Northwestern/Miami, Fla. |
Cain Elliot STY 6-2, 215 Winter Springs/Winter Springs, Fla. |
Joshua Forney DT 6-4, 255 Marian Catholic/South Holland, Ill. |
Jack Griffin K/P 6-1, 185 St. John Neumann/Naples, Fla. |
Dave Istanich OL 6-6, 305 Johnstown/Johnstown, Penna. |
Derrick Jones DB 5-10, 185 Miami Springs/Miami Springs, Fla. |
Darian Mallary RB 5-9, 185 Gulliver Prep/Miami, Fla. |
Larvez “Pooh Bear” Mars LB 5-11, 210 Apopka,/Apopka, Fla. |
Jarrell McGee DB 5-11, 190 North Dakota College of Science Jr. College/Cocoa, Fla. |
Giancarlo Revilla OL 6-3, 275 Killian/Miami, Fla. |
Markeith Russell LB 6-1, 210 North Miami Beach/North Miami Beach, Fla. |
Thatcher Starling DE 6-4, 265 Hutchinson C.C./Hutchinson, Kan. |
Terrance Taylor STY 6-0, 185 Archbishop Carroll/Miami, Fla. |
Edgard Theliar WR 6-3, 195 Butler J.C./Miami, Fla. |
Wayne Times WR 6-0, 180 Miami Northwestern, Miami, Fla. |
Austin Tottle OL 6-4, 300 Osceola, Seminole, Fla. |
Rockey Vann WR 6-0, 170 Ocoee/Ocoee, Fla. |
Jairus Williams WR 6-5, 187 Miami Central/Miami, Fla. |
Tourek Williams DE 6-4, 230 Norland/Miami, Fla. |
Derek Wimberly OL 6-5, 275 Hallandale/Miami, Fla. |
WOW! Season opener against Alabama, then Florida in November? I wish this team the best of luck, this is going to be an ugly year..
I am an FIU alumn "class of 02" and I am stoked in what this school, Mario, and the effort these fans and players are providing to make this school the public university of South Florida. The atmosphere was awesome last year in our new stadium and the cheerleaders… well… THE BEST! FIU is representative of the population of Miami Dade and provides half of the alumni that reside and contribute to 305! I know we will have a tough year next year but the players (Pooh Bear sounds viscious!) we signed along with TY "Goodbye" Hilton will provide jawdropping exciting action once again! Lets make it to a bowl game next year boys! Here we come Howard! FIU FIU FIU!!!
It is a distinct pleasure to observe – albeit from afar – my Alma Mater's gradual rise toward achieving recognition as a football force to be reckoned with. I grew up in the City of Miami (49th St & N. Miami Ave) during the late 50's and early 60's, when the only college ball in the entire region was the UM. My Dad took me to a number of "home" games at the Orange Bowl, where I felt a solid sense of community with the Hurricane fans rooting for those UM teams. Teams which occasionally rose from average to good (remember George Mira and Ted "The Mad Stork" Hendricks?) My point is simple: As well-planned and established as Florida International University was and is, the missing ingredient was always a Division I football team. We have one now, and one that we can be proud of. Congratulations to the players, coaches, administrators, and alumni for working together to produce the FIU Golden Panther gridiron warriors! Now we southeastern Florida "Public University" students and alumni have Our Own team, and a beautiful stadium with which to establish a new, unique sense of camaraderie and community in the Greater Miami area. – Bill Sullivan FIU Class of '76 Resident: North Phoenix, Arizona
I know that Edgard "OCHO" Theliar and T.Y. "goodbye" Hilton is going to cause havoc with teams secondary and also with wayne "make it rain" Times that will make coaches pull out there air and with brett farve a QB is goin to be crazy i sure hope Edgard Stay for his senior year because he is going to have a breakout season next year…