::::: KICKOFF :::::August 31, 2002:::::::::::::::::::::

First Panthers Sign Up
FIU football took another step toward its official Aug. 31, 2002, kickoff recently when Head Coach Don Strock announced that a surprising 27 high- school seniors had accepted scholarships to enroll this fall.

Strock followed that announcement in subsequent weeks with three more signings, giving FIU 30 scholarship players ­ the maximum amount allowed by the NCAA for the first recruiting year of a program.

"I couldn't be more pleased with these young men," beamed Strock at a press conference at FIU-University Park's favorite student hangout, Gracie's Grill in the Graham Center. "Not only did we get a class of outstanding student athletes, we signed several guys who were heavily recruited by well-known Division I programs. That says a lot about the quality of what we're trying to build here.

"Made public on Feb. 7 ­ national signing day ­ Strock's class earned praise for its quality, its depth and its size. Experts expected the group to be smaller and wondered how FIU would fare, positioned between the University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University.

"There was roaring applause Wednesday afternoon as coach Don Strock ­ nine cheerleaders at his side and a sign saying '20 Months' behind him ­ announced the 27 players who will make up the core of Florida International's first football team," reported the Sun-Sentinel. The Miami Herald explained, "Part of the draw for signees was not only the chance to make history, but also that they stand a better chance of playing as freshmen than they might at another school."

Among the class highlights were 6-2, 265-lb. Josh Alexander, a St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine) defensive lineman who was both a Blue Chip All American and an honorable mention to the USA Today All-American team, and David Tabor, a 6-2 quarterback from Poinciana High in Kissimmee who earned first-team, All County honors while setting Osceola County records for career completions (414), yardage (5,765) and touchdowns (57). Some are already saying Tabor could be the first FIU protégé for Strock, a star quarterback for Virginia Tech and the Miami Dolphins before becoming a coach.

Of the 30 players, nearly two-thirds are from Miami-Dade and Broward counties (13 and six, respectively). Only two signees ­ both from Pennsylvania ­ came from beyond Florida's borders.

Golden Panther fans won't have to wait long to see the new guys in action: Strock and Athletic Director Rick Mello are planning five intra-squad scrimmages for this fall as a tune-up for next year's intercollegiate kickoff.

::::::::::: STROCKTALK ::::::::::: By DON STROCK

Campus enthusiasm is building for the FIU football program. You can almost feel it. At the February press conference for our first signing class, students packed into Gracie's Grill to hear how well we did. They seemed as proud as I am of the freshmen-to-be.

Then in March ­ actually, on St. Patrick's Day -- more than 100 FIU underclassmen reported for walk-on tryouts. It was a spirited group, and we think that as many as 10 of them may eventually make the team. These young people give me great confidence as we get closer and closer to our first season. If their response to FIU football so far is any indication, I'm sure we'll enjoy strong fan support from the fans who matter most: our students.

I hope you'll make your plans to join them when we take the team on the field this fall for our very first intra-squad scrimmages. I'm sure you'll agree, there's nothing like college football!