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Florida States Recruiting Class of 1988

Class of 1988
BRYCE ABBOTT, DB, 6-1,195, TIFTON, GA. (Tift County)-hails from the same high school as FSU senior Stan Shiver and has been described as "faster Shiver" . . . chose FSU over Georgia ... first team 4A all-state as picked by the Atlanta Constitution ... had 80 tackles and four interceptions as a senior ... played in the FloridaGeorgia all-star game ... born on the same day as fellow freshman Tommy Henry ...
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ROBBIE BAKER, OL, 6-5,235, FT. MYERS, FLA. (Ft. Myers)-probably will be a center at FSU ... benches 325 pounds ... a member of the Florida all-stars who played the Georgia all-stars during the summer ... Ft. Myers News Press Athlete of the Year. .. plans to major in business ... high school teammate of fellow FSU frosh Leon Fowler ...
TYRONE BARBER, OL, 6-4, 260, THOMASVILLE, GA. (Thomasville)-considered by many to be the best offensive lineman in the state of Georgia ... 3A all-state first team ... was the first lineman chosen on the Georgia all-star team ... bench presses 385 pounds ... picked up nickname "Interstate 78" after the number he wore. . . high school team finished 11 -1 ... named to the All-Dixie team by Super Prep Magazine and to the All-South team by the Orlando Sentinel ... Lindy's Recruiting Magazine named him to its AllGeorgia defensive team and the Atlanta Constitution picked him as one of the top 25 players in the state ...
LAVON BROWN, DB, 5-11,190, MOORE HAVEN, FLA. (Moore Haven)-he'll probably be playing at cornerback ... was first team Class A all-state as a utility back ... attended the FSU football camp ... played option quarterback in high school ... his basketball team made it to the final four in the state playoffs ... wants to major in computer science ...
KIRK CARRUTHERS, ILB, 6-2, 205, EAST LANSING, MI. (East Lansing)-grew up in the shadows of Michigan State. . . his father coached five years with MSU head coach George Perles under the legendary Duffy Daugherty ... Perles was also best man in Kirk's father's wedding ... an honorable mention USA Today All-American ... had 115 tackles and seven interceptions as a senior and also caught 44 passes for 670 yards ... made two all-state teams as a tight end and three as a linebacker ... named to Michigan's 22-member "Dream Team" and was Defensive Player of the Year in his league . . . member of his high school debate club and also performed in two musicals ... wants to major in business and minor in communication and carried better than a 3.2 grade point average in high school ... has two brothers who played football for Central Michigan ...
JAMES CHANEY, L, 6-0,250, NORTH FT. MYERS, FLA. (N. Ft. Myers)-could play on either line at FSU but is most prominently known as a noseguard ... also played fullback and punted in high school ... outstanding student whose mother is the dean of students at his former high school ... owns a 430 pound bench press. . . was starting guard on 1984 high school team when FSU's Deion Sanders starred at quarterback ... runs a 4.8 40-yard dash ... first team 4A all-state as a senior ... 83 tackles, four fumble recoveries and four sacks ...
DEONDRI CLARK, OLB, 6-4,250, WINTER GARDEN, FLA. (West Orange)-chosen as one of the top 100 players in the nation by USA Today ... also named to the Orlando Sentinel's All-South team and honored by the Orlando Touchdown Club as its Defensive Player of the Year ... played in the Florida-Georgia all-star game... many considered him the top-ranked defensive player in the state ... first team 4A all-state and Super 24 ... plans to major in criminal justice ...
ED CLARK, JR., OLB, 6-3,210, MELBOURNE, FLA. (Melbourne)-first team 4A all-state selection who was recruited by everybody . . . could play inside or outside linebacker for FSU ... had 144 tackles in 1987, including 95 solo ... president of the Melbourne student body as a senior ... cousin of just-graduated tight end Pat Carter. . plans to major in electrical engineering ...
JASON CRAIN, ILB, 6-2,215, PUNTA GORDA, FLA. (Charlotte)-Defensive Player of the Year in his area ... had two interceptions, one that went for a touchdown ... rushed for 600 yards in six games at fullback ... nephew of former FSU linebacker Paul Piurowski . first freshman to ever play on his high school's varsity team ...
JASON DILLABERRY, OL, 6-5,275, ORANGE PARK, FLA. (Orange Park)-named to USA Today's national top 100 list. . . also picked to the Dixie squad of Super Prep Magazine, to Lindy's AllFlorida team and to the Orlando Sentinel's Florida Super 24 team . . . played in the Florida-Georgia all-star game ... one of the state's top heavyweight wrestlers, Dillaberry lost in the state finals to fellow recruit Kevin Mancini ... 3.4 GPA in high school ... plans to major in hotel management ... first name is Mark, but goes by his middle name of Jason . . .
JOHN FLATH, DL, 6-4,250, CASSELBERRY, FLA. (Lake Highland Prep)-attended FSU's summer football camp ... played four sports and was the Class A champion as a junior in the discus ... played both offensive and defensive lines . . . first team Class A allstate as a junior and third team as a senior. . . good speed-4.95 in the 40 ... plans to major in business ...
LEON FOWLER, DB, 6-2,190, FT. MYERS, FLA. (Ft. Myers)-member of the Florida Super 24 team and played in the FloridaGeorgia all-star game ... was an option quarterback and defensive back at Ft. Myers ... completed 38 of 78 passes for 524 yards and as a defensive back intercepted five passes ... also plans to play baseball at FSU ... high school teammate of Robbie Baker. . .
REGGIE FREEMAN, OLB, 6-3,220, CLEWISTON, FLA. (Clewiston)-second team Class 3A all-state ... plans to major in criminology ... played both defensive end and tight end in high school ... was hurt late in his senior season ... his track team was the state 2A champs in '86 and '87 track ...
ERIC GIBBS, OL, 6-6,310, ATLANTA, GA. (The Lovett School)-Gibbs will rank as the biggest player FSU has on its roster ... 2A allstate first team as picked by Atlanta Constitution... an alternate for the Florida-Georgia all-star game ... plans to major in industrial management ...
FELIX HARRIS, CB, 6-1,195, LAKE PLACID, FLA. (Lake Placid)-one of four former option quarterbacks that FSU recruited who will play defensive back ... this you ng man is a jack of all trades... played noseguard three years in high school and then played quarterback and running back as a senior ... he played wide receiver in the '88 Georgia-Florida all-star game ... has been timed at 4.34 in the 40 ... made the first team of the 2A all-state squad ... rushed for 366 yards and nine TDs as a running back ... his basketball team made it to the 2A final four in the state playoffs ... nicknamed "The Cat", of course ...
TOMMY HENRY, CB, 6-1,175, DeSOTO, FLA. (DeSoto County)-former option quarterback ... probably will play cornerback at FSU ... first team 3A all-state ... had 1,078 yards of total offense and was sacked just once ... played in the Georgia-Florida all-star game . . . athletic ability has been likened to that of Delon Sanders ... also played basketball ... born on the same day as fellow freshman Bryce Abbott ...
BRAD LUNDSTROM, OLB, 6-5, 225, NAPLES, FLA. (Lely)-played in the Florida-Georgia all-star game ... could be targeted for a linebacking position or may end up on the defensive line if he gains weight ... first team 3A all-state at linebacker where he had a school record of 143 tackles ... had 15 catches and two touchdowns as a tight end ... participated in state shot put competition last three years . . . attended the FSU football camp ... brother Jay was a member of Clemson's 1981 national championship team ...
KEVIN MANCINI, OL, 6-4,255, BRANDON, FLA. (Brandon)-one of FSU's most acclaimed recruits ... named to the USA Today and United Press International Top 100 high school seniors' lists... also made the Orlando Sentinel's All-South team and Super Prep Magazine's All-Dixie squad ... Lindy's Recruiting Magazine named him second team All-South ... member of the Super 24 Senior team in Florida that competed against the Georgia all-stars in the summer ... first team 5A all-state ... selected FSU over Ohio State, Michigan, Florida and Auburn ... father played off ensive guard for the Chicago Bears from 1967 to 1979 ... has snapping experience where FSU could have a void ... participated in summer camps at FSU, Florida and Michigan ... picked as the top offensive lineman in Michigan's camp ... also Went to Michigan's wrestling camp ... born in Detroit ... was FSU's first 1988 commitment, making that decision at Thanksgiving ('87) and taking no other visits although he was recruited by every major school... won the 4A state heavyweight wrestling title in 1988 on Brandon's nationally-ranked team ...
ERIC McGILL, TE, 6-6, 235, WALTERBORO, S.C. (John C. Calhoun Academy)-although he grew up a Bulldog fan, signed with Florida State because of the role of the tight end in the FSU offense ... attended a private school and was named the top player in South Carolina among those schools ... 46 catches for 781 yards and seven touchdowns ... all-conference for three years in football, basketball and baseball ... plans to major in interior design ...
PETE PRINZI, QB/DB, 6-0,185, TAMPA, FLA. (Plant)-an "athlete", Prinzi may be looked at first as a safety ... played quarterback in high school, throwing for 2,281 yards and 13 TDs in his junior and senior seasons combined ... broke his leg in the last game of his senior season . . . finished first in his county in the President's Physical Fitness Program competition ... father Vic was a former FSU quarterback and serves as the current Seminole Sports Network color analyst ... Pete plans to major in business ...
TROY SANDERS, DL/OL, 6-2,270, ELBA, ALA. (Elba)--named to the Montgomery Advertiser's Dynamite Dozen and f irst team 3A all-state by the Birmingham News and the Alabama Sportswriters Association ... his team made it to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs in 1987 ... Elba was the 4A state runnerup his sophomore year and the 3A runnerup his junior season ... played both lines at Elba ... had 79 tackles as a noseguard ... played in the AlabamaMississippi all-star game on the defensive line ... had a 3.0 GPA in high school . . .
CARL SIMPSON, TE, 6-3,230, BAXLEY, GA. (Appling County)-hails from the same high school that produced FSU tailback Dexter Carter ... played defensive tackle and tight end ... 19 receptions for 254 yards ... honorable mention all-state ... broke his high school's record in the shot put ...
DAVID STALLWORTH, ILB, 6-2, 230, ROBERTSDALE, ALA. (Robertsdale)-a member of the Orlando Sentinel's All-South team, Stallworth had 103 tackles and 49 assists as a senior ... 5A all-state ... originally committed to LSU ... president of his high school class and also the National Honor Society ... had a 3.8 GPA.
ROBERT STEVENSON, OL, 6-3, 250, PENSACOLA, FLA. (Escambia)- he really signed with the Class of 1987, but did not enroll when he didn't get the ACT score needed under Proposition 48 . . . re-tested and passed the exam last fall and spent two terms attending Pensacola Junior College on a part-time basis ... he will be a full-fledged freshman in 1988 ... a second team All-South selection his senior year in high school after blocking for the nation's number one runner, Emmitt Smith ... Stevenson made the first team of the 4A all-state squad ... high school offensive coordinator Max is now a graduate assistant on the FSU coaching staff ...
OLIVER STRICKLAND, DL, 6-3,285, PHILADELPHIA, PA. (West Philadelphia)-named to the Super Prep Magazine All-American team on offense ... his coach says he's the best offensive lineman he's coached in 25 years ... FSU recruited him to play on its defensive line ... father lives in Callahan, just north of Jacksonville, and Oliver attended West Nassau High School there until his senior year when he moved to Philadelphia. . . ran 4.83 in the 40 at Penn State's football camp ... picked FSU over Florida, Pitt, UCLA and Penn State ... has thrown the shot put 59 feet ...
CHARLIE WARD, QB, 6-1,175, THOMASVILLE, GA. (Central)-named to Super Prep Magazine's All-Dixie team ... considered the state's top quarterback after rushing for 1,000 yards and throwing for 1,891 (109 of 190) ... rushed for nine TDs and threw for 16 ... punted for a 40.6 average ... will play for Georgia in the Florida-Georgia allstar game ... Atlanta Constitution named him its Georgia Offensive Player of the Year ... Ward was second team all-state in basketball last winter ... parents attended Florida A & M.... FSU coaches expect to redshirt him in 1988 ...
JOHN WIMBERLY, P, 6-3,195, TAMPA, FLA. (King)-FSU coaches first spotted him in the Bobby Bowden summer football camp ... punted in six games as a senior and averaged 36.6 yards ... without blocks, his average was 40.2 ... underwent knee surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament he damaged in an off-the-field accident while rehearsing for a play ... some liken him to former FSU great Rohn Stark, now the NFL's all-time leading punter ...
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