CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Jihad Morris (Newburgh/Newburgh Free Academy), who recently completed his freshman season on the Hudson Valley Community College football team, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Western Kentucky University.
Morris, a safety, was a First Team All-Northeast Football Conference selection in 2006 after leading Hudson Valley with 67 tackles. He also had an interception and recovered three fumbles.
"We are excited to have Jihad join our program in January. He is a young man of the highest character, is committed to earning a meaningful degree, and he is a great athlete that we believe can help us take our program to the next level." said Western Kentucky Head Coach David Elson
Western Kentucky just completed its last season as an NCAA Division I-AA program. The Hilltoppers will be entering the Sun Belt Conference in football in 2008.
Morris signed during the midyear junior college transfer period. He is able to attend Western Kentucky next season because he was an NCAA qualifier out of high school.
Hudson Valley finished the 2006 campaign with a 5-4 record. The Vikings have had just one losing season in the last 17 years and sport a 102-44 (.699) record since 1990.