Black Uniform Reveal

Perfect day to reveal our Black Out Uniforms! Come see the in action in our home opener Sept. 9 vs Davidson! #Eclipse2017 #365tough pic.twitter.com/zwR0ci974x

— WCU Football (@WCU_FB) August 21, 2017

 Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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11 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #11 Jordan Mathis

It's now 11 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a wide receiver....

#11 Jordan Mathis

Class: RS Junior
Hometown: Marietta, Ga.
High School: Marietta HS
Height / Weight: 5-10 / 200
Position: WR

2016 (Redshirt Sophomore): Played in eight of the team's 11 games with one start ... His first career start came against ETSU (Sept. 17) in a game played at the Bristol Motor Speedway ... Recorded 13 catches for 180 yards on the season, twice recording six receptions in a game ... Hauled in six passes for a career-high 117 yards in the home win over Gardner-Webb (Sept. 10) ... Also returned one punt for 22 yards against the Runnin' Bulldogs for a total of 139 all-purpose yards ... Caught two passes for eight yards in WCU's annual Spring Game.

2015 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in 10 of the team's 11 games as a back-up wide receiver ... Caught four passes for 18 total yards with a receiving touchdown ... Made his first collegiate reception on a six-yard gain against Presbyterian (Oct. 2) ... Both caught and threw a TD pass in the home win over Samford (Oct. 24) -- hauled in a nine-yard pass that he dove and extended the ball over the goal line for the score; on the very next offensive possession, tossed a 39-yard pass on a wide receiver pass to Karnorris Benson ... Had one official rush on the season and returned three punts ... Caught a pair of passes including a 10-yard touchdown reception in WCU's annual Spring Game.

2014 (Freshman): Redshirted ... A two-sport student-athlete, saw action in five games for the Catamount baseball team ... Went 0-for-2 with one run scored and a stolen base as a pinch runner ... Playing for the Gold squad, caught three passes for 18 yards in WCU's annual Spring Game.

Prior to Western Carolina: Three-year varsity letter winner who earned honorable mention all-conference accolades twice before garnering second team honors as a senior... Recorded 42 receptions for 662 yards and eight touchdowns for the Blue Devils, who finished 8-3 and earned a state playoff trip ... Added 74 rushing yards and a TD on the ground ... a two-sport standout including football and baseball ... As a senior, broke the school record for most career touchdowns with 23 ... Is expected to walk-on the Catamount baseball team as a sophomore ... Earned the Jackie Smallwood Award for baseball ... High school coach was Scott Burton.

Personal: Full name is Jordan Elliott Mathis ... Is the son of Mark and Melanie Mathis ... Has two younger siblings, Sydney and Christian ... Father played collegiate football at Liberty University before a six-year career in the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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The "Black Out" Uniform

12 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #12 Tyrie Adams

It's now 12 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

 To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a quarterback....

#12 Tyrie Adams

Class: RS Sophomore
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Fla.
High School: Dixie M. Hollins HS
Height / Weight: 6-2 / 180
Position: QB

2016 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in all 11 of the team's games, making 10 starts at quarterback missing the first quarter at Mercer (Oct. 15) for a violation of team rules ... Passed for 2,568 yards on the season, a mark that ranked third in the SoCon and 28th nationally -- it was also the fifth-best, single-season performance in school history for a QB ... Completed 217 passes, the fourth-best single-season in WCU history ... His 233.5 passing yards per game average ranked third in the SoCon while his 135.7 passer efficiency and 266.0 total offense average ranked fourth in the league ... Tossed 15 touchdown passes, adding one on the ground in addition to a total of 358 rushing yards ... Set a school record with 510 yards of total offense including a career-best 427 yards passing and 83 rushing yards in the home win over Gardner-Webb (Sept. 10), matching a school benchmark with five passing touchdowns ... His 510 yards of total offense in a single-game also represents the fifth-best in SoCon history ... For his efforts, he garnered SoCon Offensive Player and STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week accolades following the victory over the Runnin' Bulldogs ... Threw for 343 yards and two TDs against ETSU (Sept. 17) in a game held at the Bristol Motor Speedway, while also eclipsing the 300-yard passing mark with 384 yards at Mercer (Oct. 15) ... Named the SoCon's Offensive Player of the Month in September, leading the league in passing yards (312.3 yds/gm) and total offense (369.4 yds/gm) through the first month of the season ... Named the 2016 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year by both the league's head coaches and voting media ... Selected to the SoCon All-Freshman team ... Finished fourth in voting out of 23 national finalists for the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award given to the national freshman of the year ... Tabbed first team Freshman All-America by HERO Sports, leading all rookie quarterbacks in passing yards ... Threw for 272 yards on 17-of-29 passing with two interceptions and a pair of touchdown passes in WCU's annual Spring Game ... Despite being in the protective gold jersey, Adams added 34 rushing yards including a scrimmage-long 22-yard rush on a scramble.

2015 (Freshman): Traveled or dressed each week, but did not see game action, taking a redshirt ... Led five scoring drives in WCU's annual Spring Game, tossing three touchdown passes ... Completed 15-of-21 passes for 146 yards and three TDs, adding 59 yards rushing on eight carries in the final spring scrimmage ... Participated in indoor track & field where he was the SoCon men's champion in the high jump, clearing 2.09-meters ... Also finished eighth in the SoCon in the long jump (6.85m), scoring points for the conference championship team ... During the outdoor season, won the SoCon high jump title after clearing 2.11m (6-11.00) while finishing fourth in the long jump ... Qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round ... Missed the school record in the high jump by a quarter of an inch in his outdoor debut at the Beynon Sports Catamount Classic after clearing 2.14m (7-00.25).

Prior to Western Carolina: Three-sport standout in high school, recruited as a football quarterback and in the high jump in track & field while also playing basketball ... Named to the Tampa Tribune's All-Pinellas County football second team as an athlete ... As a senior, threw for 2,802 yards and 30 touchdowns including a career-high -- and county record -- 598 yards and six TDs on 36-of-55 passing against Tarpon Springs, adding 109 rushing yards and another score ... Recorded 505 passing yards in a game as a senior while earning BHSN Athlete of the Week honors after throwing for 448 yards and four TDs in a win over Seminole HS ... Was a third-team Class 6-A All-State Elite team selection in 2013 ... Was named first team All-Tampa in track & field in the high jump after finishing third at Class 3-A state meet.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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2017 Football Preseason Preview: The Citadel

Throughout this preseason, Purple & Gold will preview all of Western's 2017 football opponents.

For the tenth game of the season, the Cats travel to Charleston to meet the Bulldogs of The Citadel.

Western faces the Bulldogs for the forty-second time since 1972.







The Citadel

When: Saturday, November 4 at 2:00 pm

Where: Johnson Hagood Stadium (natural grass), Charleston, SC

Radio: Catamount Sports Network

TV / video: ESPN3

The Series: Western trails The Citadel 16-24-1 overall in the series, losing the last two games to the Bulldogs. Coach Speir is 1-4 against the Citadel.

Last Season's Game vs. The Citadel (Oct. 1, 2016) - Western Carolina Falls 37-14 to The Citadel - Cullowhee, NC - The Bulldog's Reggie Williams ran for 133 yards on 17 carries, Rod Johnson had three rushing touchdowns, and The Citadel cruised to a 37-14 win over Western Carolina on Saturday. Johnson finished with 69 yards on just six carries. Cam Jackson added 85 yards on the ground and also threw a 75-yard touchdown pass on a trick-play to running back Tyler Renew. Renew also had 77 yards on the ground for the Bulldogs (4-0, 3-0 Southern Conference), who ran 84 times for 513 yards as a team.

Last season's Record (The Citadel): 10-2 overall, 4-1 home, 6-1 away, 8-0 SoCon

Head Coach: Brent Thompson -  Brent Thompson was named The Citadel's 25th head football coach on January 19, 2016, and in his first year led the Bulldogs to unprecedented heights while authoring one of the best seasons in Southern Conference history. Thompson’s first season in charge featured a program-record 10-game winning streak, a single-season school-record six road victories, only the seventh 8-0 conference record in 84 years of SoCon football, a second consecutive conference championship, a No. 6 national seed in the FCS Playoffs and the first home playoff game in 24 years. He was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year for the 10-2 campaign that resulted in the first time in program history with back-to-back playoff appearances.


Offensive Formation: Triple Option

Defensive Formation: Multiple

Starters returning/lost:  9 / 15

Offensive starters - Returning/Lost: 3 / 8

Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 6 / 5

Specialist - Returning/Lost: 0 / 2

The Bulldogs are ranked 12 in the FCS Coaches Preseason Top 25 poll, and placed six players on the preseason All-SoCon teams, led by the preseason Defensive Player of the Year Kailik Williams.  He was joined by senior A-Back Cam Jackson and junior offensive lineman Tyler Davis on the first team. Senior linebacker Myles Pierce, senior defensive lineman Jonathan King and junior defensive lineman Ken Allen were voted to the second team.

The Bulldogs lost 15 starters off last years conference championship team, returning only 3 of those starters on offense. The good news for the Bulldogs is that one of the 3 offensive starters returning is quarterback Dominique Allen. He knows how to run the triple option offense, and he rushed for 659 yards and seven touchdowns, last season.  The Citadel needs a receiver who can be a threat to stretch the defense or they may have some problems without a credible passing threat.

With a passing threat, the Bulldogs may end up having one of the best rushing offenses in the country if Allen and Cam Jackson are ready to take over and live up to expectations. Jackson rushed for 692 yards last season, but the Bulldogs will need a few more rushers like Rod Johnson and Evan McField to pick up the slack.

2016 The Citadel Statistics:
Rushing Offense: 4178 yards
Yards per game: 348
Yards per rush: 5.4 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 211
TDs rushing: 32
Passing Offense: 820 yards or 68 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 6.5 yards
Passing 1st downs: 29
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 53-126-5
TDs Passing: 5
Total Offense: 4998 yards or 417 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 21 - 10
3d Down Conversions: 94 of 197 (48%)
4th Down Conversions: 15 of 27 (56%)
Field goal attempts: 12 - 20
PAT-Attempts: 36 of 38 (95%)
On-side kicks: 0-0
Red Zone Scores: 36 of 48 (75%)
Red Zone Touchdowns: 25 of 48 (52%)
Punts - Yards: 48 - 1889 - Avg per punt: 41




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13 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #13 D'Andre Belton

It's now 13 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a defensive back....

#13 D'Andre Belton

Class: RS Junior
Hometown: Ridgeway, S.C.
High School: Fairfield Central HS
Last College: Itawamba CC
Height / Weight: 5-11 / 200
Position: DB

2016 (Redshirt Sophomore): Did not see game action ... Dressed as an emergency back-up quarterback part of the season behind Tyrie Adams.

Prior to Western Carolina: Originally signed with Charleston Southern out of high school ... Played the 2015 season as a wide receiver at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss. ... Finished the year with 28 receptions in 10 games, recording 239 receiving yards and two touchdowns ... Attempted two passes on the season ... Also had one punt return for 13 yards at Mississippi Gulf Coast (Oct. 24).

High School: Named the 2013 AA Offensive Player of the Year, Belton was a two-time All-Region and All-State honoree at quarterback at Fairfield Central High School in Ridgeway, S.C ... Went 23-4 as a two-year starter accumulating 5,154 total yards from scrimmage and 54 touchdowns during his career ... Finished his senior season with 1,764 passing yards and 748 rushing yards with 24 total touchdowns.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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2017 Meet The Cats & Scrimmage

14 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #14 Wes Holcombe

It's now 14 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a quarterback.....

#14 Wes Holcombe

Class: RS Junior
Hometown: Rabun Gap, Ga.
High School: Rabun County HS
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 195
Position: QB


2016 (Junior): Played in three games as the back-up quarterback before suffering a season-ending injury against The Citadel (Oct. 1) that sidelined him the remainder of the year and through spring drills ... Rushed four times for 18 yards including a pair of rushes for a season-high 23 yards at East Carolina (Sept. 3) ... Twice went 1-for-3 passing to finish the season 2-for-6 for six yards through the air ...Named to the 2016-17 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2015 (Sophomore): Played in all 11 of the team's games as a back-up quarterback and primary holder on placekicks ... Completed 16-of-28 passing for 130 yards ... Rushed six times for 15 yards ... Set career-highs with 10 pass completions among 16 pass attempts for a career-best 77 yards against Mercer (Oct. 10) ... Completed three passes for 20 yards with an interception in WCU's annual Spring Game ... Named to the 2015-16 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2014 (Freshman): Saw action in three games at quarterback, each in a reserve role ... Finished 1-for-3 for 12 yards ... Made his collegiate debut late in the game at Presbyterian (Oct. 4) ... Tossed an interception on his first pass attempt at PC ... Completed his first pass for a 12-yard gain against Chattanooga (Nov. 1) ... Credited with two rush attempts against Chattanooga ... Named to the 2014-15 Southern Conference Honor Roll ... Playing for the Gold squad, connected on 14-of-29 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown in WCU's annual Spring Game

Prior to Western Carolina: Passed for over 3,500 yards in his final two seasons of high school including over 2,300 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior ... Was an offensive honorable mention at QB on the 8-AA All-Region team ... In addition to quarterback, also played in the defensive secondary as a prep, moving to the position primarily as a senior after a thumb injury ... Played for former Catamount Lee Shaw at Rabun County HS.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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15 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #15 Will Jones

It's now 15 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a quarterback.....

#15 Will Jones

Class: Freshman
Hometown: Greensboro, N.C.
High School: Page HS
Height / Weight: 6-4 / 200
Position: QB


Prior to Western Carolina: Was a three-year starter at quarterback at Page HS, taking over as a sophomore after an injury to the season starter ... As a senior, was named the Guilford County Football All-Stars co-Offensive Player of the Year ... Was also selected HSXtra All-Area first team ... Guided Page HS to the North Carolina 4-A state championship game in back-to-back seasons as both a junior and senior ... In his final season as a prep, completed 206-of-368 (56%) for 3,109 yards and 38 touchdowns, adding 599 yards on the ground on 97 carries and 11 TDs ... Selected to play in the 80th annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas ... For his career, amassed 6,603 yards on 439-of-772 passing for 72 touchdowns while also rushing for 854 yards on 195 and 22 TDs ... Was listed as a two-star athlete by both 247Sports.com and Scout.com ... High school head coach was Kevin Gillespie ... Also played basketball as a prep, helping the Pirates to the NCHSAA Class 4-A regional semifinals.

Personal: Full name is Will Carlyle Jones ... Is the son of Bill and Kari Jones.




Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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Foushee & Kinard awarded full scholarships

Senior running back James Foushee and redshirt senior defensive lineman Sheldon Kinard were both awarded full scholarships on Wednesday afternoon by head coach Mark Speir during a team meeting.

 

16 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #16 Skyler Matheson

It's now 16 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a tight end.....

#16 Skyler Matheson

Class: RS Sophomore
Hometown: Robbinsville, N.C.
High School: Robbinsville HS
Height / Weight: 6-0 / 220
Position: TE


2016 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in seven games as an offensive reserve and on special teams ... Made his collegiate debut at Wofford (Oct. 8) ... Did not record any offensive stats ... Tallied one tackle coming at Furman (Nov. 12). 2015 (Freshman): Redshirted ... Converted to running back during the off-season and spring drills ... Rushed a team-high 19 times for 83 yards in WCU's annual Spring Game ... Named to the 2015-16 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Joined the WCU football team as a preferred walk-on ... Named All-Smoky Mountain 1-A Conference selection ... Threw for 93 yards, ran for 34 yards and a TD and made a team-high 12 tackles in the NCHSAA 1-A championship game earning game MVP honors ... Passed for 1,093 yards and eight touchdowns with 1,694 rushing yards and 22 TDs on th ground ... Led RHS with 181 tackles including 133 solo stops with 18 TFLs, five fumble recoveries and two interceptions ... Selected to the East-West All-Star game ... Also played basketball at Robbinsville High.

Personal: Is the son of David and Kim Matheson ... Has a sister, Karlyn.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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Football Scrimmage #2

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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17 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #17 Reggie Jones

It's now 17 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a defensive back.....

#17 Reggie Jones

Class: Freshman
Hometown: Sharpsburg, Ga.
High School: East Coweta HS
Height / Weight: 5-11 / 175
Position: DB

Prior to Western Carolina: Collected first team All-Region honors for 2-AAAAAAA honors ... Was also named to the 2016 Newnan Times-Herald All-County football team on the first team defense ... High school head coach was Steve Pardue ... Also ran track as a prep.

Personal: Full name is Reginald Johnathan Jones ... Is the son of Reggie Jones Sr. and Chassity Anthony.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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2017 Football Preseason Preview: Furman

Throughout this preseason, Purple & Gold will preview all of Western's 2017 football opponents.


For the ninth game of the season, the Cats host the Furman Paladins for this year's fourth home game.


The Cats dropped a 28 point loss to the Paladins in last season on the road after winning 48-19 at home in 2015.






Furman

When: Saturday, October 28 at 3:30 pm

Where: E.J. Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

Radio: Catamount Sports Network

TV / video: ESPN3

The Series: The Cats have won the last two of the last three in the series, but are only 12-30-2 overall against the Paladins in the series, and 5-14-1 in games played in Cullowhee.

Last Season's Game vs. Furman (Nov. 12, 2016) Camount Football Drops Road Game at Furman, 49-21 - Greenville, S.C. - Junior tailback Detrez Newsome rushed for a pair of first half touchdowns and receiver Spearman Robinson capped a double-digit reception day with a score, but it was not enough as Furman pulled away from Western Carolina in the second half, handing the Catamounts a 49-21 loss Saturday evening at Paladin Stadium.

Last season's Record (Furman):  3-8 overall,  1-4 home,  2-4 away,  3-5 conference (conference wins over ETSU, VMI, & WCU)

Head Coach: Clay Hendrix (Furman '86) Clay Hendrix was introduced as Furman’s new head football coach by director of athletics Mike Buddie on December 19. Hendrix, a former Paladin offensive guard and assistant coach who returns to his alma mater following a decade as an assistant coach at the United States Air Force Academy, is the 23rd head coach in the history of Furman football, which dates from 1889. He succeeds Bruce Fowler, who resigned his head coaching duties on Dec. 2.



Offensive Formation: Multiple

Defensive Formation: 3-4

Starters returning/lost: 12 / 14

Offensive starters - Returning/Lost: 4  / 7

Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 4 / 7

Specialist - Returning/Lost: 4 / 0

Key Personnel Returning: Offense - Terrell Bush (OG), Matthew Gordon (WR), Logan McCarter (WR), Matthew Schmidt (C) Defense - Aaquil Annoor (S), Joe Farrar (S), Chinedu Okonya (DE), Jaylan Reid (DT)

Furman wad the seventh place pick in the Southern Conference coaches preseason poll, and four Paladins were named to preseason all-conference teams. Furman garnered 26 points in the coaches poll to place seventh, finishing ahead of East Tennessee State (17) and VMI (12). Paladin senior center Matthew Schmidt was the Paladins' lone representative on the preseason all-conference first team. Earning second team accolades were senior fullback Antonio Wilcox, redshirt junior nose guard Jaylan Reid, and junior safety Aaquil Annoor.

2016 Furman Statistics:
Rushing Offense: 1466 yards
Yards per game: 133
Yards per rush: 4.2 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 82
TDs rushing: 19
Passing Offense: 2931 yards or 267 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 7.7 yards
Passing 1st downs: 133
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 245-382-13
TDs Passing: 21
Total Offense: 4397 yards or 347 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 18 - 9
3d Down Conversions: 52 of 134 (39%)
4th Down Conversions: 10 of 18 (56%)
Field goal attempts: 7 - 15
PAT-Attempts: 36 of 38 (95%)
On-side kicks: 0-3
Red Zone Scores: 37 of 43 (86%)
Red Zone Touchdowns: 31 of 43 (72%)
Punts - Yards: 47 - 1890 - Avg per punt: 40




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18 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #18 Bryce Wilson

It's now 18 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. 

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a defensive back.....

#18 Bryce Wilson

Class: RS Sophomore
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
High School: Carver HS
Height / Weight: 5-10 / 170
Position: DB


2016 (Redshirt Sophomore): Played in 10 of the team's 11 games as a defensive reserve and on special teams ... Did not record any seasonal statistics ... Credited with three tackles in WCU's annual Spring Game. 2015 (Freshman): Redshirted ... Named to the 2015-16 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Was a three-year starter at Carver HS where he was a three-time team defensive back MVP ... Twice earned all-region honors in his final two seasons ... Tallied five touchdowns as a senior including three on offense and two defensively ... Team captain as a senior ... Finished his prep career with 10 career interceptions ... High school coach was Darren Myles.

Personal: Full name is Bryce D. Wilson ... Is the son of Eric and Adra Wilson ... His father played baseball at Morehouse College ... Has three siblings: Rayah, Raven and Reece.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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2017 Returning FCS Leaders - All-Purpose Yards

19 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #19 Devarius Cortner

It's now 19 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a defensive back.....

#19 Devarius Cortner

Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
High School: East Nashville Magnet HS
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 190
Position: DB


2016 (Freshman): Played in nine of the team's 11 games as a defensive reserve and on special teams ... Recorded seven total tackles on the year including two solo stops ... Tallied his first collegiate tackles in his collegiate debut in the season-opener at East Carolina (Sept. 3) ... Matched his career-best with two solo stops at Samford (Oct. 22) ... Credited with four total tackles including one for loss in WCU's annual Spring Game ... Named to the 2016-17 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Two-way player who played quarterback in addition to defensive back ... Finished his senior season with 1,251 passing yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 185 yards and two scores ... Recorded 40 tackles on defense with four interceptions and five pass breakups at free safety ... Received the prestigious Hume Award, an honor bestowed upon the best Metro Nashville football player based on scholarship, sportsmanship, individual performance and value to his team ... Listed as a two-star athlete by both Rivals.com and 247Sports.com ... High school coach was Brian Waite.

Personal: Full name is Devarius Quantez Cortner ... His mother is the late Sherika Cortner ... His guardian is Vanessa Cortner ... Has an older sister, Doncoria, and younger cousin, Nakia Hayes.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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20 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #20 Donnavan Spencer

It's now 20 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight another running back.....

#20 Donnavan Spencer

Class: RS Freshman
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
High School: Vance HS
Height / Weight: 5-10 / 190
Position: RB

2017 (RS Freshman): Rushed eight times for 23 yards in WCU's annual Spring Game.

2016 (Freshman): Did not see game action, taking a redshirt ...

Prior to Western Carolina: In October of 2014, became the first Mecklenburg County prep football player to rush for more than 400 yards in a single game amassing 405 yards on 30 carries with four touchdowns ... As a junior was the runner-up in the 4th Annual Charlotte Football Awards for the Running Back of the Year award and was a third-team offense All-Observer selection ... High school coach was Aaron Brand.

Personal: Is the son of Latasha Spencer.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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First Scrimmage of Fall Football Practice

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations                

The best returning punters in the FCS

21 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #21 Detrez Newsome

It's now 21 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a running back.....

#21 Detrez Newsome

Class: Senior
Hometown: Raeford, N.C.
High School: Hoke County HS
Height / Weight: 5-10 / 210
Position: RB

2017 (Senior): Appeared on the initial Walter Payton Award Watch List for the FCS Offensive Player of the Year ... Tabbed second team preseason All-America by STATS FCS ... Selected preseason first team All-FCS by Lindy's Sports ... Tabbed preseason first team All-Southern Conference at running back and as return specialist by the league's head coaches.

2016 (Junior): Started all 11 games on the year at running back ... Posted his second-consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season, finishing with 1,031 yards on 156 carries with 10 rushing touchdowns ... Eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark four times during the 2016 season including a career-best - and WCU single-game record - 277 yards and two touchdowns against Chattanooga (Oct. 28) ... Matched a WCU record with a 95-yard touchdown run against UTC, matching a record set by Brett Chappell (vs. Elon, 1995) ... Rushed for 148 yards in the home win over Gardner-Webb (Sept. 10), 111 in the home win over VMI (Nov. 5), and rushed a season-high 21 times for 115 yards and a score at SEC-foe, South Carolina (Nov. 19) ... Finished as the NCAA FCS Football individual season champion for all-purpose yards, amassing a Southern Conference record 2,343 all-purpose yards to lead three of the four NCAA football divisions ... Was a three-time post-season All-America selection including first team All-America from the Associated Press and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and a second team FCS All-America selection by STATS ... Named second team All-Southern Conference by the league head coaches at running back and return specialist ... Selected All-SoCon at running back by the league's voting media ... Named Western Carolina's 2016-17 A-CAT-EMY Awards Male Athlete of the Year ... Earned SoCon Offensive Player of the Week as well as honorable mention STATS FCS National Player of the Week on Oct. 31 ... Named STATS FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week after amassing a school-record 365 all-purpose yards (third-most in SoCon history) including a school and SoCon-record 240 kickoff return yards that featured a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at South Carolina (Nov. 19) ... Selected as a team captain by his teammates as a junior ... Rushed eight times for 23 yards and two touchdowns in WCU's annual Spring Game.

2015 (Sophomore): Started nine of the 11 games in which he saw action ... Named first team All-Southern Conference by both the league's head coaches and voting media ... Became just the ninth Catamount running back since 1967 -- and the first since Darius Fudge in 2006 -- to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season, posting the fourth-best total in single-season in school history with 1,109 yards on the ground ... Rushed for over 100 yards six times on the year ... Led the Southern Conference in rushing, the only back to average over 100-yards on the ground (100.8 yds/gm), and finished the regular season ranked 10th in the nation in rushing ... Closed the season by matching a career-long streak with his third-consecutive, 100-yard rushing performance at VMI (Nov. 21), by-passing the 1,000-yard mark in the second quarter of the road victory ... Twice rushed for over 100 yards against teams from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with 128 yards at Tennessee (Sept. 19) and 111 yards at Texas A&M (Nov. 14) ... Led Western Carolina in scoring with 72 points, tallying 12 touchdowns including nine on the ground and the first three TD receptions of his career to accompany 281 receiving yards ... Scored TDs in all but one game on the year (Furman, Nov. 7) ... Adding in 389 yards on kickoff returns, averaged a SoCon-leading 161.7 all-purpose yards per game, ending the regular season sixth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) ... Collected SoCon Offensive Player of the Week in early October following a 237 all-purpose yard performance that included a career-high 189 rushing yards in the win over Presbyterian (Oct. 2).

2014 (Freshman): Saw action in all 12 games in the offensive backfield ... Ranked third on the team with 488 rushing yards while pacing the Catamounts with nine rushing touchdowns ... Racked up 1,311 all-purpose yards including 689 yards on 26 kickoff returns including one for a touchdown ... Was second in the SoCon in kickoff return average (26.5 yds/gm) ... Finished the year ranked third in the SoCon in all-purpose yards, averaging 109.3 yards per game ... Recorded two touchdowns in a game five times as a freshman, ranking second on the team with 60 points scored ... Named second team All-Southern Conference by both the league's head coaches and media as a return specialist on special teams and was also selected to the Southern Conference All-Freshman team both on offense and special teams ... Recorded a career-high 207 all-purpose yards in a home win over Brevard (Sept. 6) with 99 on kickoff returns, 88 on the ground and 20 through the air ... Garnered SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week plaudits after returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the home win over Wofford (Oct. 11), finishing with 180 all-purpose yards ... Collected SoCon Freshman of the Week honors after compiling 154 all-purpose yards with 123 yards rushing and two TDs against The Citadel ... Playing for the Gold squad, rushed 11 times for 33 yards and caught a pass for 14 yards in WCU's annual Spring Game.

2013 (Freshman): Joined the WCU football team for spring drills ... Led all running backs with 39 yards on 14 carries, fumbling once during WCU's annual Spring Game.

Prior to Western Carolina: Named the Southeastern 4-A co-Offensive Player of the Year by the Fayetteville Observer, tallying all-conference accolades ... According to NCPreps.com, rushed for over 2,000 yards on over 240 carries with 37 touchdowns as a senior ... Recorded 402 yards on the ground on 20 rushes for an average of 20.1 yards per carry, scoring six touchdowns in the 2012 season-opener against Wilmington Ashley HS ... It was the 23rd time a 400-plus yard game had been reported to the NCHSAA ... Also ran track & field as a prep.

Personal: Full name is Jermine Detrez Newsome ... Is the son of Yolanda Newsome.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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22 Days 'till Football Kickoff - #22 JerMichael White

It's now 22 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on September 2, 2017, in Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii - home of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

To help pass those long summer days until football season starts, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, we'll continue the 100-day football countdown each day until kickoff.

Today we'll highlight a defensive back.....

#22 JerMichael White

Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Johnson City, Tenn.
High School: Science Hill HS
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 185
Position: DB


2016 (Sophomore): Played in seven games as a reserve in the defensive secondary and on special teams with his first career start coming at Mercer (Oct. 15) … Recorded 11 total tackles with seven solo stops … Matched his career-high with three tackles twice, doing so in the season-opener at East Carolina (Sept. 3) and at Mercer … Tallied one pass break-up at Mercer … Credited with four tackles in WCU’s annual Spring Game.

2015 (Freshman): Appeared in nine games as a true freshman, each coming as a defensive reserve and on special teams ... Recorded 11 tackles including six solo stops ... Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener against Mars Hill (Sept. 5), tallying his first career tackle against the Lions ... Recorded a career-high three tackles twice -- at Tennessee (Sept. 19) and against Furman (Nov. 7), forcing a fumble in the latter.

Prior to Western Carolina: Played mostly wide receiver and defensive back before seeing more time at running back as a senior ... Rushed for 474 yards and seven touchdowns while also catching 30 passes for 439 yards and three scores ... Defensively, racked up 55 tackles with six TFLs while intercepting five passes, returning two for scores ... Played in the Eighth-Annual Border Bowl between Kentucky and Tennessee, catching a touchdown pass as a wide receiver ... Missed four games due to a hand injury as a junior ... High school coach was Stacy Carter ... Also played basketball and ran track as a prep.

Personal: Full name is Jermichael White ... Is the son of Tonya White ... Has a younger brother.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

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