EAGLE ALUMNI

This Season (Sr.)-CU's starter at the "X" receiver position. He was selected a preseason honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith's, and was second-team preseason all-Big 12 by Lindy's Big 12 Football (third-team by Phil Steele's/Inside Players). Going into 2001, he has caught passes in 17 consecutive regular season games, 18 including the '99 Insight.com Bowl. He enters his senior year ranked 14th all-time in career receptions at Colorado with 68, and is also 17th on the receiving yards list with 904. 2000 (Jr.)-He had his breakout year at receiver, as in earning honorable mention all-Big 12 honors (coaches), he tied for the team lead with Javon Green in receptions (48) and was second in receiving yards (592). He averaged 12.3 yards per catch and caught two touchdowns (against Kansas State and Nebraska). He caught at least one pass in all 11 games (he started 10; CU came out with two tight ends against Nebraska), and caught at least three in nine contests. His top game was against Oklahoma State, when he established career-highs of nine receptions and 153 yards; the nine grabs tied for the fifth most in CU history with the yardage count the 17th best day. His first nine receptions of the year went for just 70 yards, as he was more of safety valve on the shorter routes. But his last 31 receptions of the year netted 424 yards, and earned the Buffs 25 first downs. On first down, he caught 20 passes, averaging 13.2 per and moving the chains 10 times, while six of his nine third down grabs also earned first downs. He also led the team in special teams points with 15, winning the Bill McCartney Award for special teams achievement. He had 10 tackles, one inside-the-20, three downed punts (all inside-the-10) and recovered a blocked kick. He occasionally returned punts, and was quite dangerous when he did so, averaging 24.3 yards on four returns (with a long of 42). He had a fine spring and won the Fred Casotti Award, as presented by the coaching staff to the outstanding offensive back during spring drills. He had nine catches for 119 yards in the two main spring scrimmages. 1999 (Soph.)-He showed why the offensive coaches wanted him back after "loaning" him to the secondary his freshman year. He finished fifth on the team in receptions with 20, but third in receiving yards (312) and average per catch (15.6). He caught two or more passes in seven games and at least one in nine games, as he played in all 12 including the Insight.com Bowl (five starts in all). He scored his first touchdown early in the third quarter on a 37-yard pass from Mike Moschetti at Texas Tech, and had his other TD catch from 14 yards out versus Nebraska, when he had three grabs for 68 yards. He caught for balls for 45 yards against Oklahoma in another top game. He had eight third or fourth down receptions, converting five into first downs, and all told, 14 of his 20 passes earned first downs. He also had two tackles and a knockdown block on special teams. He had a great spring, as the coaching staff named him as the Most Improved Offensive Player. He caught 10 passes for 103 yards in spring scrimmage action. 1998 (Fr.)-He played in all 12 games on special teams and in seven on defense, including the Aloha Bowl, and a couple early on offense. He was projected as a wide receiver, and practiced there during fall camp and the first month of the season. But as injuries mounted in the secondary, he switched sides of the ball and became a free safety. He was ready to play there the fifth game of the year at Oklahoma, but wound up trotting in for the first time defensively a week later versus Kansas State. He would wind up seeing action at both safety positions over the course of the season and was in on 18 tackles (11 solo and one for a loss), with three pass deflections and three third down stops. He had eight tackles, including one for a loss, two third stops and a pass broken up, against Texas Tech. He tied for second in special team points with 19 on the strength of 11 tackles and seven knockdown blocks, and was named by the coaches as one of the recipients of the Brian Cabral Award for special teams achievement.

HIGH SCHOOL-As a senior, he earned PrepStar All-America honors, as he was listed as the No. 5 wide receiver in the West. USA Today selected him as an honorable mention All-American, while SuperPrep placed him on its all-Far West team (the No. 61 player overall and the No. 8 receiver) and the National Recruiting Advisor selected him on its All-West team. He was a first-team all-state selection (Cal-Hi Sports), first-team all-Orange County (Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register), first-team all-CIF Southern Section and was the most valuable player of the Sea View League. He was also the CIF District 5 defensive player-of-the-year for his play at free safety. He was first-team all-CIF as a defensive back his junior year, when he was first-team all-league and second-team all-Orange County at wide receiver. As a senior, he caught 70 passes for 1,469 yards (21.0 average) and 19 touchdowns, and ran three reverses for 43 yards and another score. He had 42 receptions for 1,040 yards (24.8 per catch) and 14 TDs as a junior, and four catches for 37 yards as a sophomore. He had career numbers of 116 receptions, 2,546 yards, 22.2 average per catch and 33 touchdowns, and set or tied a total of 15 records. He owns five of the top six receiving games in Santa Margarita history. Top games included a 55-42 win over Tustin in the CIF championship tilt his senior year, when he had five catches for 125 yards and a score; and a win over Fountain Valley the same year, when he hauled down eight passes for 242 yards and two scores. He had five receptions for 160 yards and three TDs in a 38-0 win over Newport Harbor in the CIF title game as a junior. On defense (free safety), he had 107 tackles and five interceptions as a senior and 117 tackles as a junior, and was the holder on all placement kicks. Santa Margarita was the CIF district champions both his senior (14-0) and junior (13-1), and was 8-4 his sophomore season, all under coach Jim Hartigan. As a freshman, he was the MVP of the Sea View League champion team. He also lettered in basketball (small forward, guard).

ACADEMICS-He is majoring in communication at Colorado, and is active as one of football's representatives on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He owned a 3.27 grade point average in high school, and was an honor roll student.

PERSONAL-Born Oct. 19, 1979 in San Jose, Calif. Hobbies include the mountains, snowboarding and skiing. (Last name is pronounced Minn-R-dee.)