Three-time NJCAA Champion East Mississippi Lions send 26 football players from 2014 team onto four-year level

SCOOBA – An additional four players from East Mississippi Community College's 2014 NJCAA National Championship team officially put their signatures on National Letters of Intent during Wednesday's national signing day activities on the Scooba campus.  Joining EMCC's prior signees who inked during the mid-year signing period for junior college transfers, a total of 26 players from the Lions' third undefeated national title team in four years are set to continue their football careers at the four-year level. 

In-state products Preston Baker (Starkville HS) and Jessie Gill (Union HS) completed their two-year EMCC playing careers undefeated as back-to-back NJCAA National Champions, as they helped lead head coach Buddy Stephens' Lions to a composite 24-0 record, two national titles as well as consecutive MACJC State/NJCAA Region 23 championships.  

Having led East Mississippi with 615 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns this past season, Baker (5-10, 215) signed with the University of Tennessee at Martin.  The former Starkville High School standout rushed for 1,096 total yards and 16 touchdowns during his two-year stint on the Scooba campus. 

Gill (6-2, 205), who recorded a pass interception and had six tackles this past season for the Lions, signed with Miles College near Birmingham, Ala. 

Both ranked among the nation's top-15 JUCO prospects in the 2015 ESPN Junior College 50, out-of-state products Camion Patrick and Dante Sawyer inked with Indiana University and the University of South Carolina, respectively.    

Hailing from Knoxville, Tenn., Patrick (6-2, 215) was EMCC's second-leading receiver in 2014 with 42 catches for 631 yards, including a team-leading 12 touchdown catches.  With at least one scoring grab in 11 of the 12 games this past year, Patrick capped the season with seven catches for 118 yards and two scores in the Lions' 34-17 victory over Iowa Western Community College in the 2014 NJCAA Football Championship Game/Mississippi Bowl VII played in Biloxi, Miss.   

A former Class 6A first-team all-state selection out of North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Ga., Sawyer (6-5, 285) was credited with 17 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in his lone campaign on the Scooba campus.  The Atlanta native, who played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, has been regarded as a four-star prospect by many recruiting analysts. 

Under Stephens' seven-year guidance, the three-time NJCAA National Champion Lions of East Mississippi Community College have sent an average of 23 players per year to the four-year level dating back to the 2008 campaign. 

2014 EMCC FOOTBALL PLAYERS MOVING ONTO FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITIES             

BRANDON ACKER (6-2, 185, WR, Hattiesburg [MS] HS) – Southeastern Louisiana University

PRESTON BAKER (5-10, 215, RB, Starkville [MS] HS) – University of Tennessee at Martin

DEFOND BESTER (5-11, 225, LB, Laurel [MS] HS) – Alcorn State University

JERYL BRAZIL (5-11, 195, DB, Hammond, LA/Loranger HS) – University of Louisiana at Lafayette

JAMAL DANLEY (6-5, 315, OL, Olive Branch, MS/Byhalia HS) – University of Oklahoma

JACOB FEELEY (6-3, 290, OL, Picayune, MS/Picayune Memorial HS) – University of Mississippi

JESSIE GILL (6-2, 205, DB, Union [MS] HS) – Miles College

EVAN GRIMES (6-0, 190, LS, Florence [MS] HS) – Alcorn State University

BRANDON HODGES (6-6, 320, OL, Aberdeen [MS] HS) – University of Texas

MICHAEL HODGES JR. (6-2, 195, WR, Aberdeen [MS] HS) – Mississippi College

D.J. JONES (6-2, 315, DL, Pelzer, SC/Wren HS) – University of Mississippi

CHAD KELLY (6-3, 220, QB, Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) – University of Mississippi

QUAN LATHAM (5-10, 195, DB, Columbus [MS] HS) – Faulkner University

WILLIAM LLOYD (6-1, 210, LB, Rosedale, MS/West Bolivar HS) – Troy University

JUSTIN LUCAS (6-0, 230, LB, Aberdeen [MS] HS) – Troy University

TODD MAYS (6-0, 200, QB/RB, Olive Branch [MS] HS) – Oklahoma State University

JOHN MICHAEL McFALL (6-0, 170, PK, Corinth [MS] HS) – University of Mississippi

MARCO MONTGOMERY (6-3, 260, DL, Atmore, AL/Spanish Fort HS) – University of Memphis

KAMERON MYERS (5-8, 175, WR, Charleston [MS] HS) – Georgia State University

CAMION PATRICK (6-2, 215, WR, Knoxville, TN/Lenoir City HS) – Indiana University

LORENZO PHILLIPS (6-3, 230, DL, Port Sulphur, LA/Patterson HS) – Florida State University

DANTE SAWYER (6-5, 285, DL, Atlanta, GA/North Gwinnett HS) – University of South Carolina

JAQARIUS SCOTT (6-0, 260, DL, Meridian [MS] HS) – Mississippi College

ALLEN SENTIMORE (6-0, 180, DB, Laurel [MS] HS) – Arkansas State University

DESHADRICK TRULY (6-0, 190, DB, Charleston [MS] HS) – University of Southern Mississippi

DREW WHITE (5-8, 190, PK/P, Tupelo [MS] HS) – Arkansas State University