April 16, 2012

TUCSON--University of Arizona players hope to hear their names this week as the NFL Draft plays out from New York City Thursday through Saturday, April 26-28.

Quarterback Nick Foles has received the most mention among Wildcat hopefuls, with receiver Juron Criner and cornerback Trevin Wade also possibilities after their appearance in the NFL Combine earlier this year.

UA has had 16 players selected in the last six years of the draft, with tight end Rob Gronkowski, receiver Mike Thomas, tackle Eben Britton, defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, cornerback Antoine Cason, running back Chris Henry and linebacker Brooks Reed picked in rounds 4 or higher. Cason was UA's most recent first-round pick, by San Diego in 2008.

Some of Arizona's hopefuls:

Nick Foles, Quarterback - 6-5, 240, Austin, Texas

Three-year starter and Arizona's first career 10,000-yard passer as well as most single-season and career passing records for the Wildcats... He left owning the career passing yards (10,011), touchdowns (67, tie), attempts, completions and career total offense records, along with single-season marks in yards, TDs, attempts and completions, among other notables. A 2008 transfer from Michigan State who sat out that year, Foles was a two-time honorable mention All-Pac performer and clearly UA's top weapon in 2011... Took over starting job in fourth game of 2009 and started 32 games thereafter, missing a couple of nods with injury... Career-best 448 passing yards at Oregon in 2010... Career-high 41 completions (53 attempts) for 425 yards and four scores at USC in 2011... Threw for five touchdowns against Northern Arizona in senior-year opener... Arizona record 208 pass attempts without an interception including his first 193 throws in 2011... Set UA mark with 4,334 passing yards as senior, Arizona's first to eclipse the 4000 barrier... University of Arizona athletics community service leader throughout his career... At Michigan State as a true freshman in 2007, Foles played in one game, with 5-for-8 passing for 57 yards... 2007 graduate of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas...Set school career records for passing yards (5,658) and passing TDs (56), breaking marks previously held by Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)... Fourth-team all-state selection by TexasHSFootball.com... Honorable mention Class 5A all-state pick by the Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA)... Offensive MVP of the All-District (25-5A) Team... Central Texas (All-Centex) Player of the Year by the Austin American-Statesman... Completed 187-of-280 throws (.668) for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns and just four interceptions as a senior while leading the Chaparrals to a 12-3 record including a trip to the Class 5A Division I championship game against Southlake Carroll... Three-year starter and two-time team MVP for Coach Ben Faulkner's Westlake basketball team... Averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds in 2005-06 while earning all-district honors, and led the district in rebounding as a sophomore... Academic All-District honors in football and basketball... University of Arizona academic major was communication... Honorable mention Pac-10 All-Academic honors 2009 and 2010 seasons...Son of Larry and Melissa Foles... Born Jan. 20, 1989.

Foles Career at Arizona:

Year	GP-S	Att	Com	Int	Pct	Yds	TD	Effic
2009	12-10	410	260	9	63.4	2486	19	125.25
2010	11-11	426	286	10	67.1	3191	20	140.86
2011	12-11	560	387	14	69.1	4334	28	145.62
Total	35-32	1369	933	33	68.2	10011	67	140.91

Juron Criner, Wide Receiver - Senior, 6-4, 220 - Las Vegas, Nev.

Arizona's career record holder with 32 receiving touchdowns... Receptions in his final 28 games as a Wildcat... No. 4 all-time at Arizona with 209 catches and No. 4 with 2,859 receiving yards, behind three NFL Cats in each category - Mike Thomas, Bobby Wade and Dennis Northcutt... Honorable mention All-Pac-12 2011... Missed two games to start year after an appendectomy...Had 12 receptions in two games (Stanford 2009, Oregon State (2010), tied for the No. 2 single-game total in Arizona annals... Had 11 career 100-yard games and five 10+ reception contests... 82 catches in 2010 were No. 4 on UA single-season chart... First-team All-Pac-10 and second-team SI.com/cbssports.com All-America honors in 2010... 82 catches for 1,233 yards and 11 scores, one of best seasons in UA history... Five 100-yard game and three others at 95-plus... Tied school record (Mike Thomas 83-1088) with 11 TD grabs in both '11 and '10...Top 10 all-time on UA career receptions, yards and TDs, plus single-season in those categories... Scored in nine games in 2010... 85-yard TD catch at Eugene seventh-longest pass play in UA history... In 2008 he started the first two games of the year and the California game... Played in all 13 games... Season Highs: 4-45 receiving against Toledo... 1 touchdown catch at New Mexico in fourth quarter. Career highs: 12-179 vs. OSU `10, 12-152 against Stanford `09, 3 TD against Oregon '09 and Stanford `11, 3-50 rushing against Stanford '10, 85-yard TD catch at Oregon `10... As sophomore he was second on club with 45 receptions for 582 yards and team-high nine scores in 2009... The touchdowns tied for No. 5 on UA single-season receiving TD chart... Prepped at Canyon Springs High School, Las Vegas, Nev., 2008... Voted to the Las Vegas Sun All-Decade Team in early January 2010 for his prep accomplishments... Class 4A All-Sunrise Region first-team offense... Two-time all-state... PrepStar All-West... Big receiver with decent speed, Criner caught 58 passes for 1,631 yards and 25 touchdowns his senior year for coach Matt Jenkins... Catches and yardage was top in state... Team scoring leader with 172 points including 10 PATs... Had 36 catches for 788 yards his junior year on an 8-4 squad... Noted basketball player... Academic major was family studies and human development... Date of birth Dec. 12, 1989...

Criner's Career at Arizona:

Year	G-GS	Rec.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Long
2008	13-3	7	88	12.6	1	28
2009	13-5	45	582	12.9	9	71
2010	13-12	82	1233	15.0	11	85
2011	11-11	75	956	12.7	11	48
Total	50-31	209	2859	13.7	32	85

Trevin Wade, Cornerback - 5-11, 192, Round Rock, Texas

Ranks eighth (tied) in Arizona career history with 28 passes defended, and tied for 10th with 12 career interceptions... 35-game starter for the Wildcats among 50 games played... Second-team All-Pac-12 in 2011, second-team in 2009 in a breakout year as a sophomore... Retured a pick 85 yards for a score against Iowa in 2010, sixth-longest in Wildcat history... Two interceptions in 2009 season opener against Northern Arizona... Career-high 11 tackles against Stanford as sophomore... Prepped at Stony Point High School, Round Rock, Texas, 2007... All-District 14-5A as a defensive back and also as all-purpose player senior year in 2006... First-team all-district defender in 2005... All-district point guard... Played in both football and basketball all-star games his senior year... Academic major was economics... Date of birth Aug 1, 1989, in Austin, Texas... Son of Charles and LaVera Wade... Related to former MBL baseball's Hubie Brooks...

Wade's Career at Arizona:

Year	G-GS	UT	AT	TT	Other
2008	13-0	4	8	12	4-78 INT, 3 PD
2009	13-13	53	18	71	5-40 INT (TD 38), 1.5 TFL, 9 PD, FF
2010	12-11	39	8	47	1-85 INT (TD), 1.5 TFL, 3 PD
2011	12-11	42	10	52	2-0 INT, 1.0 TFL, 13 PD, FF
Total	50-35	138	44	182	12-203 INT (2 TD), 28 PD, 2 FF, 4 TFL

Some other Wildcats working to move on to the NFL:

Keola Antolin, Running Back - 5-8, 195, Las Vegas, Nev.

Arizona's leading rusher from 2009-2011, with career-best 668 as a junior... Shared duties with Nic Grigsby and Ka'Deem Carey during his tenure... 26 career touchdown runs are No. 4 in UA history ... No. 9 on UA career rushing chart with 2,390 yards... 77 catches out of the backfield... Honorable mention All_ac-10 in 2010... Territorial Cup Game MVP Award against ASU in 2009... 10 rushing TDs as a frosh are school record... Two-time Pac-10 Player of the Week honors - on offense and as kick returner in '09... Prepped at Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas, Nev.,. Academic major was general studies... date of birth Jan. 14, 1990...

Career Totals:
Year	GP-GS	TC	Yds	TD	YPC	Lg
2008	12-0	117	525	10	4.5	43
2009	13-4	114	637	4	5.6	67
2010	13-8	143	668	7	4.7	78
2011	12-12	126	568	5	4.5	31
Total	50-24	500	2390	26	4.8	78
	Rec	Yds	TD	Avg.	Lg
2008	7	24	0	3.4	13
2009	17	83	0	4.9	16
2010	28	204	2	7,3	29
2011	25	197	1	7.9	46
Total	77	508	3	6.6	46
	KOR	Yds	TD	Avg	Lg
2008	15	323	0	21.5	41
2009	9	256	0	28.4	42
2011	3	23	0	7.7	18
Total	27	602	0	22.3	42
Also:  2-8 punt return `08

Gino Crump, Receiver - 6-2, 210, Washington, D.C.

Played in Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, 2012... 65 grabs in 2011 tied with teammate David Douglas for eighth-best season total in Arizona annals... Originally enrolled at West Virginia, where he redshirted 2008... Sat out 2009 as transfer... Attended Fort Union Military Academy in 2006-07... Prepped at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C.... Academic major was political science... Son of Gino Crump Sr. and Regina Crump... Date of birth Aug. 8, 1988...

Career Totals
	GP-S	Rec	Yds	TD	Avg.	Lg
2010	11-0	4	39	0	9.8	17
2009	12-11	65	610	2	9.4	47
Total	23-11	69	649	2	9.4	47

David Douglas, Receiver - 6-1, 205, McKinney, Texas

Four-year regular for Arizona, final two as starter either inside or outside... No. 6 on UA all-time list with 151 receptions, plus to 15 with 1,532 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches... 65 grabs in 2011 tied with teammate Gino Crump for eighth-best season total... Prepped at North High School in McKinney, Texas... All-District 9-4A honors... Academic major was communication... Date of birth June 27, 1989...

Career Totals
Year	G-GS	Rec.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Lg
2008	13-0	3	41	13.7	0	20
2009	11-4	31	320	10.3	2	43
2010	13-10	52	515	9.9	5	38
2011	12-9	65	666	10.2	4	44
Total	49-23	151	154210.2	11	44
KOR 1-10 '08; Punt Ret 3- -1 '09, 6-32 '10, 9-31 total.

Derek Earls, Linebacker - 6-3, 247, Waconia, Minn.

Two-yaer starter for the Wildcats... Team's leading tackler in 2011, with 74 total hits including career-high 10 at Stanford in 2010... Season-high of nine hits against the Cardinal in 2011... Transferred to UA from North Dakota State College in December 2009... first-team NJCAA All-America in 2009... Prepped at Waconia High School in Minneapolis... Academic major was sociology... Date of birth April 5, 1990...

Career Totals
Year	G-GS	UT	AT	TT	Other
2010	13-12	30	14	44	6.5 TFL, 1 SK, 1-0 INT, 4 PD, FF
2011	12-12	55	19	74	7 TFL, 2 PD, FR
Total	25-24	85	33	118	13.5 TFL, SK, INT, 6 PD, FF, FR

C.J. Parish, Linebacker - 6-2, 245, College Station, Texas

Played in Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, 2012... Played in 25 games as a Wildcat, with nine starts in 2011 as a defensive end... Career-best 32 tackles as senior, with 5.0 tackles for loss, three sacks and a fumble recovery... Career total of 40 tackles... Season- and career-high of eight hits against Northern Arizona in 2011 opener... Played tight end, H-back and DE for Arizona... Transferred to Arizona as sophomore from Blinn College, Brenham, Texas... Prepped at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas... Academic major was general studies... Date of birth Dec. 22, 1988...

Paul Vassallo, Linebacker - 6-3, 245, Reno, Nev.

Two-year starter for Wildcats... Played in Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, 2012... Transferred to UA from Sierra Community College in December 2009... Honorable mention All-Pac-10 his junior year in Tucson... Academic All-Pac-12 and CoSIDA District VIII All-Academic honors in 2011... Pac-10 Player of the Week honor after 14 tackles against Washington in 2010... First player to hit 100-tackle level at UA (2010) since Spencer Larsen in 2007... Prepped at Bishop Manogue High School in Reno., Nev... Academic major was public health... Son or Pamela and the late Ben Vassallo... Date of birth Dec. 16, 1989, in Reno, Nev.

Career Totals
Year	G-GS	UT	AT	TT	Other,
2010	13-13	77	25	102	8 TFL, 2 Sk, 2 PD, FR, FF
2011	12-12	44	26	70	5.0 TFL, 1 SK, 2 PD, FR
Total	25-25	121	51	172	13 TFL, 3 SK, 4 PD, 2 FR, FF

Mohammed Usman, DL/Linebacker - 6-2, 245, Arlington, Texas

Played in Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, 2012... Defensive end for the Wildcats... Seven-game starter in 2011... Played in 14 career games after junior college transfer... Administrative issue kept him off the field until late in 2010, and he chipped in two tackles and a blocked kick in his three appearances... Career total of 22 tackles after 19 in 2011, with one sack... Career-high five tackles at Oregon State in 2011... Transferred to UA from Navarro Community College in December 2009... Prepped at Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas... Academic major was general studies... Date of birth April 1, 1989...