Wednesday February 24, 2010 7:50 PM Posted by staff
Two Baylor student-athletes will work out for NFL coaches and front office personnel at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine Feb. 24 to March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. All-America center J.D. Walton and receiver David Gettis were invited by the National Football League to participate in the annual event preceding the NFL Draft in April.
The combine allows executives, coaches, player personnel staff and medical personnel from all 32 teams to evaluate the nation's top collegiate football players eligible for the upcoming draft. The six-day job interview involves a series of tests, drills and interviews with more than 600 NFL personnel.
Walton became Baylor's first non-special teams player to be named an Associated Press All-American since 1991, and also received All-America recognition from Pro Football Weekly and CollegeFootballInsiders.com (honorable mention). He was a consensus All-Big 12 selection.
A finalist for the 2009 Rimington Trophy, Walton is the No. 2-rated NFL Draft prospect at the center position among seniors by ESPN's Mel Kiper. He recorded 112 knockdowns in 12 games in 2009 (9.3 per game) and earned a coach's grade of 90 percent or higher in nine of 12 games with no grade lower than 86 percent.
The December 2009 Baylor graduate played in the 2010 Senior Bowl and was also invited to the East-West Shrine game. Walton was on watch lists for the 2009 Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award. He finished his career with 36 consecutive starts at Baylor after transferring from Arizona State in 2006.
Gettis, a former track athlete, earned honorable mention All-Big 12 status as a senior in 2009. He participated in the 2010 Texas vs. the Nation Challenge all-star game earlier this month in El Paso.
He totaled 52 receptions, 675 yards and three touchdowns as a senior. His 4.3 catches-per-game ranked 13th in the Big 12. Gettis caught six passes of 40 or more yards this season and his 13.0 average-per-reception led the team. He was named Baylor's Co-Offensive MVP.
Saturday February 13, 2010 10:27 AM Posted by staff
For the seventh consecutive year, the Philip M. Dorr Alumni & Friends Endowed Investment Fund has provided a generous financial contribution to Baylor University's Athletic Department. A $130,000 gift from the fund will be presented to the Athletic Department at halftime of Saturday's 12:45 p.m. Baylor-Missouri men's basketball game at the Ferrell Center.
The fund, which continues to rank as one of the largest in the United States managed by students, has provided more than $1.1 million in support of scholarships for Baylor's 19-sport intercollegiate athletics program since its first gift to the department in 2004.
"We are grateful for the generous contribution from the Philip M. Dorr Alumni & Friends Endowed Investment Fund and its continued support of student-athlete scholarships," said director of Athletics Ian McCaw. "We are especially proud of Baylor's business student-athletes who are receiving an outstanding education while they compete in the sport that they love."
Established in 2001 with an endowment gift from alumnus Philip M. Dorr, the live equity portfolio is actively managed by select business students through a course led by Professors Brian Bruce and Brandon Troegle and operates from the state-of-the-art on-campus Southwest Securities Financial Markets Center. Through additional gifts and investments, the fund has a current market value of approximately $4.6 million. Distributions from the fund are directed toward athletic scholarships for Baylor student-athletes who are business majors in good academic standing and to MBA students with an interest in investment management.
Since the Fund's inception, the student-managed portfolio has beaten its benchmark, the S&P 500, on average by about 1.3% per year. Likewise, it has created over 11% more wealth than its benchmark. This outperformance has also been accomplished with lower risk (as measured by beta and standard deviation) than the S&P 500.
"Ours is one of the largest student-run investment funds in the nation," said Terry Maness, dean of the Hankamer School of Business. "It provides our students the opportunity to get hands-on experience and help support our business student athletes and MBA students at the same time."
Saturday February 13, 2010 10:25 AM Posted by staff
WACO, Texas - Baylor has set its practice schedule for spring football and will open drills Tuesday, March 16, at its on-campus practice fields at the Highers Complex on University Parks Drive.
The Bears are scheduled to conclude the spring Saturday, April 10, with a controlled scrimmage presented by Time Warner Cable. The scrimmage and all spring workouts will take place at the Highers Complex fields located behind the Simpson Center.
Baylor spring practice dates are scheduled for March 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31 and April 1, 6, 8, 9 and 10. Fan inquiries about attending workouts may be directed to the football office at 254-710-3058.
Baylor returns 47 lettermen from its 2009 squad and will welcome six newcomers during spring drills (mid-year enrollees Troy Baker of Connally High School in Waco, Robert T. Griffin from Navarro College, Prince Kent from Hargrave Military Academy and Issac Williams from El Camino College, as well as two enrollees from the 2009 signing class: Bryce Petty of Midlothian High School and Tevin Reese of Temple High School).
The 2010 Bears roster includes 14 returning starters (seven offensive, five defensive and two specialists) from last year's team. Also back is quarterback Robert Griffin III, who is rehabbing from season-ending knee surgery and, after approval of his hardship waiver by the Big 12 Conference, retains three seasons of eligibility.
Baylor senior All-Big 12 players David Gettis and Jordan Lake will compete in the fourth annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Texas vs. the Nation Challenge Saturday at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. The annual collegiate all-star game kicks off at 1 p.m. CST and will be televised live nationally on CBS College Sports Network.
The three-year-old all-star game pits collegiate seniors with ties to the state of Texas against top seniors from across the nation. The Baylor duo will be coached on the Texas squad by former Dallas Cowboys great Bill Bates.
Gettis, a former track athlete, earned honorable mention All-Big 12 status as a senior. He totaled 52 receptions, 675 yards and three touchdowns in 2009. His 4.3 catches-per-game ranked 13th in the Big 12. Gettis caught six passes of 40 or more yards this season and his 13.0 average-per-reception led the team. He was named Baylor's Co-Offensive MVP and he was invited to attend the 2010 NFL Combine.
Lake is a three-time All-Big 12 honoree who finished his senior season with 91 tackles and three forced fumbles. His 7.6 tackles-per-game average ranked sixth in the conference and he finished his career with 324 tackles (ranks ninth all-time at Baylor), six interceptions and nine forced fumbles.
Gettis and Lake are the third and fourth Baylor student-athletes to compete in the Texas vs. the Nation event, and the first since the inaugural 2007 game when two Bears, running back Paul Mosley and receiver Trent Shelton played (Mosley earned Outstanding Offensive Player honors). A third Baylor player, quarterback Shawn Bell was invited and participated in the 2007 events but did not play due to injury.
Since the inaugural Texas vs. the Nation game in 2007, a total of 292 participants have gone on to sign NFL contracts. Some of the outstanding alums of the game include Chicago Bears WR Johnny Knox, Indianapolis Colts WR Pierre Garcon, Denver Broncos DT Marcus Thomas, Cincinnati Bengals RB Bernard Scott, Jacksonville Jaguars DT Terrance Knighton, and Arizona Cardinals RB Tim Hightower.
Wednesday February 3, 2010 9:10 PM Posted by staff
WACO, Texas -- Baylor head coach Art Briles announced Wednesday the signing of 23 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to play football at the school. The 23 new signees are comprised of 20 high school standouts and three junior college transfers.
"This class is all about skills and needs," Briles said. "We certainly feel like we filled the needs vacated by the loss of last season's seniors. We feel good about these additions and now it's their opportunity to develop themselves to the optimal levels, both physically and mentally."
The strength of Baylor's 2010 class appears to be several talented defensive backs, highlighted by national top 100 recruit and All-American Ahmad Dixon of nearby Midway High School. Briles said his staff is pleased with the quality of student-athletes headed to Baylor to play in the defensive backfield.
"The way it turned out we just happened to land a lot of good defensive backs," he said. "We needed to get some in the house and we got some really good ones. That part really turned out well."
The Bears class is heavy on defense, with 15 of the 23 total signees playing on the defensive side of the ball. Filling needs on the defensive line was another priority for Baylor this signing period.
"We always start up front, that will never change," Briles said. "Defensively those guys are hard to find. You fight and scratch and you find guys that fit what you are looking for and we were able to do that. We were looking for guys that play with a fast motor and have the desire and ability to have what it takes to play in the Big 12 South."
Baylor's 2010 class includes four student-athletes currently enrolled in Baylor's spring semester who will participate in 2010 spring drills (which are scheduled to begin March 15): mid-year junior college signees Robert T. Griffin from Navarro College and Issac Williams from El Camino College; early high school graduate Troy Baker of Connally High School in Waco; and(CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY)
