Three Hudson Valley Football Players Sign National Letter of Intent

CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Photos Available

Three Hudson Valley Community College student-athletes made their future intentions known today when they each signed a National Letter of Intent to play football and continue their education for the next two years.

Defensive end Jonal Saint-Dic (Elizabeth, NJ/ElizabethHigh School), the 2004 Northeast Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year, will attend Michigan State University. Saint-Dic, who also was named a Second Team NJCAA All-American in 2004, is Hudson Valley's all-time leading pass rusher with 21 career sacks.

Michigan State, a member of the Big Ten Conference, finished the 2004 season with a 5-7 record. The Spartans are coached by John L. Smith.

Offensive tackle Darnell Stapleton (Union, NJ/UnionHigh School) will go to Rutgers University. Stapleton, a First Team All-Conference performer in 2004, started all 21 games in his two years at Hudson Valley. He is expected to play center for the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers, a member of the Big East Conference, was 4-7 in 2004. The Scarlet Knights are coached by Greg Schiano.

Indiana State University, a member of the Gateway Football Conference, is the destination for linebacker Shonda Faulkner (Poughkeepsie/Poughkeepsie High School). Faulkner, a First Team All-Conference performer in 2004, led Hudson Valley with 96 tackles - the most by a Hudson Valley player since 1999.

Indiana State finished the 2004 season with a 4-7 mark. The Sycamores are coached by Lou West.

All three Hudson Valley student-athletes are expected to earn an associate's degree in Individual Studies this spring.

Hudson Valley, which finished the 2004 season with an 8-3 mark, has won four of the last five NJCAA Region III championships and three of the last four Northeast Football Conference titles. The Vikings have won 70.5 percent (86-36) of their games since 1990. During the last 15 years, more than 70 Hudson Valley football players have earned athletic scholarships to NCAA Division I-A or I-AA colleges.

Jonal Saint-Dic
Defensive End
6-1, 256
Hometown: Elizabeth, NJ
High School: Elizabeth High School
Major: Individual Studies

2004 - Played and started in 11 games&#8230Selected as Northeast Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year&#8230Named Second Team NJCAA All-American&#8230Earned First Team All-Conference Honor&#8230Named preseason NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American&#8230Led conference with 11.5 sacks, 28 tackles-for-loss and six forced fumbles&#8230Also had 77 tackles&#8230Named Northeast Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 20 after recording 12 tackles, including six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks against Dean&#8230Named conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 24 after having 10 tackles and three sacks in Hudson Valley's win over Nassau&#8230Set college's career sack record with 21 sacks Team finished 8-3.

2003 - Played in 10 games, started two&#8230Earned First Team All-Conference&#8230Led Hudson Valley with 19 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles&#8230Had a season-high seven tackles in win over Nassau&#8230Recovered a Nassau fumble in overtime to give Hudson Valley its first win over the Lions since 1980&#8230Named conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 21 after recording five tackles and three sacks against Alfred State.Team finished 8-2

High School - Name Second Team All-State as a senior&#8230Named Union County Defensive Player of the Year as a senior&#8230Earned Defensive Most Valuable Player of New Jersey's North-South Game&#8230Received scholarship offer from Central Michigan University

Personal - Born in Haiti to Marie and Jonas Pointdujour on March 2, 1985&#8230Was a model for the Hudson Valley view book, which is a major recruitment tool for the college&#8230Wants to work in the human services field after graduating from a four-year college or university.

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Michigan State Head Coach John L. Smith on Saint-Dic:

"Jonal Saint-Dic has a great motor - it's always running. That's the one thing that stands out about Jonal when watching film. He never gives up on a play and that's why were going to expect great things from him."

Darnell Stapleton
Offensive Tackle
6-3, 305
Hometown: Union, NJ
High School: Union High School
Major: Individual Studies

Darnell Stapleton is expected to play center at Rutgers.

2004 - Played and started in 11 games&#8230Selected to First Team All-Northeast Football Conference&#8230Named preseason NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American&#8230Finished his career as the only player in Hudson Valley history to start 21 consecutive games&#8230Offense averaged 280.3 yards per game, including 169.7 rushing yards per game&#8230Team finished 8-3.

2003 - Played and started in 10 games&#8230Earned Second Team All-Conference accolades&#8230Helped pave the way for an offense that gained 400.9 yards per game, including 260.7 yards per game on the ground&#8230Team finished 8-2

High School - Named First Team All-Wachtung Conference and First Team All-Union County as a senior&#8230Played in New Jersey's North-South All-Star Game

Personal - Born in Manhattan to Michelle and Robert Stapleton&#8230Has two brothers, Desmond (16) and Darius (10).

Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano on Stapleton;

"We're thrilled to have Darnell with us. As a junior college transfer, we're hoping he can come in and compete for playing time."

Shonda Faulkner
Linebacker
6-1, 210
Hometown: Poughkeepsie
High School: Poughkeepsie High School
Major: Individual Studies

Shonda Faulkner is expected to play strong safety at Indiana State.

2004 - Played and started in 11 games&#8230Selected to Northeast Football Conference First Team&#8230Led team with 96 total tackles - the most by a Hudson Valley player since 1999&#8230Named Northeast Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4 after recording 19 tackles, including two tackles for loss in a 17-6 win over then eighth-ranked Erie Community College&#8230Team finished 8-3.

2003 - Played in 10 games&#8230Finished fourth on the team with 48 tackles&#8230Had a season-high 12 tackles against Erie on October 11&#8230Team finished 8-2

High School - Named the Section I Defensive Player of the Year his senior season&#8230Earned First Team All-Conference honors and was named the MVP of the Section I All-Star Game&#8230Named to Poughkeepsie Journal All-Star Team.

Personal - Born in Jamaica to Albert Faulkner and Joanne Brown&#8230Family moved to United States ( Hudson, NY) when he was nine years old&#8230Moved to Poughkeepsie a year later&#8230Plans to major in communications at Indiana State.

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