University of Massachusets Athletics
UMASS TO OPEN SPRING FOOTBALL DRILLS
April 01, 1981 | Football
AMHERST --- Coach Bob Pickett will welcome over 100 candidates for the 1981 University of Massachusetts football team when the Minutemen open their Spring drills on April 6.
Spring drills will conclude on May 2 with the annual intra-squad scrimmage starting at 2:00 p.m. Practices. are scheduled on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during the Spring workouts.
Coach Pickett will have 18 starters, nine each on offense and defense, returnÂing from last year's 7-3 squad. The 1980 defense led the nation among NCAA I-AA colleges in total defense.
Offensively, co-captain Jerry Gordon, a 6'1", 240 pound senior guard from Randolph will lead a unit that includes tailback Garry Pearson, a 5'11", 185 pound junior from Bristol, CT, who gained 1033 yards a year ago. Junior quarterback Dean Pecevich, also of Bristol, started the final three games of the 1980 campaign.
UMass can also expect the return of a healthy Mike Chuma, a 6'2", 230 pound senior guard from Chelmsford who started the first three games of 1980 before being sidelined with a knee injury. In addition, Rich Jenkins, a highly regarded running Âback from Springfield, is recovered from an ankle injury which caused him to miss the entire 1980 season.
Defensively, the Minutemen can expect the return of Ray Benoit, a 6'1", 220 pound senior middle guard from Chicopee. Benoit was an All-Yankee Conference perÂformer in 1979, but missed 1980 with knee problems. Linebacker Peter DiTommaso, a 6'1", 205 pound senior from Staten Island, NY, is the co-captain on the defensive unit.
About the Archives
This is a digitized version of a press release from the University of Massachusetts archives, before the start of online publication. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, UMass does not alter, edit or update them. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other items. Please send reports of such problems to the appropriate sport contact in the UMass Athletic Communications office.
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Spring drills will conclude on May 2 with the annual intra-squad scrimmage starting at 2:00 p.m. Practices. are scheduled on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during the Spring workouts.
Coach Pickett will have 18 starters, nine each on offense and defense, returnÂing from last year's 7-3 squad. The 1980 defense led the nation among NCAA I-AA colleges in total defense.
Offensively, co-captain Jerry Gordon, a 6'1", 240 pound senior guard from Randolph will lead a unit that includes tailback Garry Pearson, a 5'11", 185 pound junior from Bristol, CT, who gained 1033 yards a year ago. Junior quarterback Dean Pecevich, also of Bristol, started the final three games of the 1980 campaign.
UMass can also expect the return of a healthy Mike Chuma, a 6'2", 230 pound senior guard from Chelmsford who started the first three games of 1980 before being sidelined with a knee injury. In addition, Rich Jenkins, a highly regarded running Âback from Springfield, is recovered from an ankle injury which caused him to miss the entire 1980 season.
Defensively, the Minutemen can expect the return of Ray Benoit, a 6'1", 220 pound senior middle guard from Chicopee. Benoit was an All-Yankee Conference perÂformer in 1979, but missed 1980 with knee problems. Linebacker Peter DiTommaso, a 6'1", 205 pound senior from Staten Island, NY, is the co-captain on the defensive unit.
About the Archives
This is a digitized version of a press release from the University of Massachusetts archives, before the start of online publication. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, UMass does not alter, edit or update them. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other items. Please send reports of such problems to the appropriate sport contact in the UMass Athletic Communications office.
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