Remember the Get To Know Your Orange Man series? Me either. Apparently it was something I was doing to fill space in June and I got really bored of it and quit after about ten players.
But dammit, I finish what I start. So I'm gonna finish this rundown of the Syracuse football roster. I'm just gonna do it in a much quicker, much leaner and much lazier way. Let's pick up where we left off and we'll work our way down through the numbers by tens. Since #89 Tom Trendowski already got his own post, we'll go with #88 through #80 for this one.
Player: David Stevens
Number: #88
Position:Linebacker
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6'4"
Weight:220
Hometown: Short Hills, NJ (Millburn HS)
Major: Enrolled in the College of Human Ecology
2008 Results: DNP
2009 Projections: David is currently third on the strongside LB depth chart behind Doug Hogue and Dan Vaughn. He should see a little PT but not much.
How'd He Get Here: 2007 Prep Star All-East Region Honorable Mention selection, in his senior year he caught 15 passes for 311 yards and one touchdown as a TE. He also had 49 tackles, including eight for a loss, as a DE. Chose Syracuse over offers from Purdue, Akron and Army.
What Did The Draftniks Say?:Scout said he was a 2-star TE and ranked him 87th overall.
Interesting Nugget O'Interest: Here's Stevens working a tipped-ball drill in spring practice.
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Player: Michael "Mike" Lee Owen
Number: #87
Position:Tight End
Year: Senior
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 251
Hometown: Riverhead, N.Y. (Riverhead HS)
Major: Child and Family Studies.
2008 Results: One of 35 players to participate in every game, including 11 starts, Ownes was SU’s second-leading receiver with 19 catches for 175 yards and 2 TDs.
2009 Projections: Owens is your #1 TE so expect to see plenty of him on the field for the Orange. He should put up solid numbers as the SU QB, whoever that will be, gets comfortable with the offense.
How'd He Get Here:Owens was a solid prospect coming out of high school where he was ranked 12th-best prospect from New York by SuperPrep. Recruited as a linebacker, Owens garnered 51 tackles in an injury-plagued senior season. But as a junior, he posted 113 tackles and was named all-county and second-team All-Long Island. He turned down offers from West Virginia and UCF for the Orange.
What Did The Draftniks Say?: Rivals said Owens was a three-star prospect and 9th best player in New York.
Interesting Nugget O'Interest: His cousin, Carl Smith, played football for the University of Maine (1988-91).
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Player: Michael Keith Acchione
Number: #84
Position: Wide Receiver
Year: Sophomore
Height: 5'11"
Weight:170
Hometown: Solvay, NY (Solvay HS)
Major: Enrolled in the College of Human Ecology.
2008 Results: DNP
2009 Projections: Michael is the 3rd WR on the depth chart in the slot behind Donte Davis and Van Chew. It'll be a tough year for PT.
How'd He Get Here: Earned all-league honors in 2005, 2006 and 2007 as a receiver. Garnered 86 receptions for 1,304 yards and 11 touchdowns for his career. Michael walked-on to the SU team.
What Did The Draftniks Say?: Not much as far as I can tell.
Interesting Nugget O'Interest: His father, Garry Acchione, played football at Syracuse from 1978-81 as a DB.
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Player: Vanzago "Van" Lamont Chew
Number: #82
Position: Wide Receiver
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6'1"
Weight:165
Hometown: Manassas, VA (Centreville HS)
Major: Communication and Rhetorical Studies.
2008 Results: Playing in every game, Chew had four catches for 56 yard and a touchdown.
2009 Projections: Van is #2 on the depth chart at the slot receiver position behind Donte Davis. Expect Van's numbers to increase...not that it will take too much.
How'd He Get Here: Van did a little bit of everything in high schools. As a junior, he rushed for 338 yards and four touchdowns on 67 carries and completed 48-of-80 passes for 640 yards. As a senior, he threw 14 touchdowns and 26 passes for 269 and two touchdowns. He also set school single-game records with 15 receptions and five passing touchdowns. I'm not sure but I think he might have been the only guy on the team. Van chose SU over offers from Delaware and Hampton.
What Did The Draftniks Say?: Rivals pegged Chew as a two-star prospect. ESPN capped Chew's potential by saying he "could be a solid special teams contributor at the next level."
Interesting Nugget O'Interest: Van is the favored son of blog The Sport Hump, where you're not complete until you've got a handlebar mustache.
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Player: Nicolas "Nick" Anthony Provo
Number: #80
Position:Tight End
Year: Junior
Height: 6'4"
Weight:232
Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL (John Leonard HS)
Major: Information Management and Technology.
2008 Results: Nick played in 11 games last season though mostly on special teams. He did grab four catches for 70 yards and a TD however.
2009 Projections: Nick is #1 on the depth chart at the TE-u position. If SU is in the 2-TE set, he'll be on the field. Otherwise, I suppose that makes him the #2 TE. Either way, he'll see significant time.
How'd He Get Here: As a senior, Nick lef all receivers in Palm Beach County with 39 receptions for 756 yards and eight touchdowns. He was named third-team all-state and first-team all-county by various sources. SU had Provo locked up pretty quick
What Did The Draftniks Say? Ranked the 32nd-best tight end by Scout.com, Nick was considered a three-star talent by Rivals.
Interesting Nugget O'Interest: Former OC Mitch Browning said of Provo last year - "Nick Provo's a guy that's got some talent. He's a young kid that we just need to continue to coach and he'll continue making progress. There's a couple of other younger guys down there, too, that have some ability but they're not ready to play yet."