CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Monday, September 3, 2007
Two Hudson Valley Community College alums will make their NFL debuts this weekend. Darnell Stapleton will suit up at center for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Rashad Barksdale will play cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Stapleton, who signed with the Steelers as a free agent shortly after the NFL Draft, was a two-year starter for Hudson Valley in 2003 and 2004. He helped the Vikings to consecutive Northeast Football Conference championships and a combined 16-5 record.
After Hudson Valley, Stapleton was a two-year starting center at Rutgers University. He was a finalist for the 2006 Dave Rimington Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate center. Barksdale was a sixth round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007. However, he was released last week and picked up by the Chiefs. Barksdale was a two-year starter for Hudson Valley's baseball team. After two more years of baseball at the University at Albany, Barksdale played his only year of college