Packers sign 15 undrafted rookies
5:03 PM, Jul. 28, 2011
The Packers announced the signing of 15 undrafted rookie free agents Thursday.
Here’s the list and bios:
Name Pos Ht Wt College HS Hometown
Diondre Borel WR 6-0 199 Utah State Oakley, Calif.
Anthony Bratton S 6-0 213 Delaware Manassas, Va.
Ray Dominguez T 6-4 334 Arkansas Bainbridge, Ga.
Sampson Genus C 6-1 315 South Florida Lake City, Fla.
Tori Gurley WR 6-4 216 South Carolina Rock Hill, S.C.
Jon Hoese FB 6-2 238 Minnesota Glencoe, Minn.
M.D. Jennings S 6-0 187 Arkansas State Calhoun City, Miss.
Elijah Joseph LB 6-1 243 Temple Hartford, Conn.
Jamari Lattimore LB 6-2 230 Middle Tennessee St. Hialeah, Fla.
Brandian Ross CB 6-0 191 Youngstown State Richmond, Va.
Brandon Saine RB 5-11 220 Ohio State Piqua, Ohio
Theo Sherman T 6-4 302 James Madison Chatham, Va.
Shaky Smithson WR 5-11 202 Utah Baltimore, Md.
Vic So’oto LB 6-3 263 Brigham Young Carlsbad, Calif.
Kerry Taylor WR 6-0 196 Arizona State Chandler, Ariz.
Borel (Dee-on-dre, Buh-rel), 22, was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Aggies. He finished his career with several school records, including the mark for single-season total offense (3,343 yards in 2009), single-season rushing yards by a quarterback (632 in 2008) and career rushing yards by a quarterback (1,362). Borel threw for 6,698 yards in his career, good for No. 2 in Utah State history, and rushed for 1,398 yards.
Bratton, 23, was named third-team All-America by The Associated Press in 2010 after posting 99 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a team-high 12 pass breakups. He earned first-team All-Colonial Athletic recognition as a senior and second-team honors as a junior. For his career, Bratton appeared in 44 games with 39 starts and recorded 269 tackles, 19 pass breakups and seven interceptions.
Dominguez, 23, appeared in 41 career games with 33 starts at tackle for the Razorbacks. As a senior in 2010, he was part of a line that helped the Arkansas offense break 24 season or single-game school records. The Razorbacks were the only team in the country to boast a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and five 600-yard receivers.
Genus (JEAN-us), 23, appeared in 44 games with 30 starts during his career and earned first-team All-Big East honors as a senior. As a junior in 2009, he earned second-team all-conference honors and was named USF’s Offensive Lineman of the Year by the coaches. In 2010, he was a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, an award given to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with academic and athletic achievement.
Gurley, 23, started all 14 contests as a sophomore in 2010 and finished second on the team with 44 receptions for 465 yards (10.6 avg.) and four TDs. He tied a school single-game record with 14 catches at Vanderbilt in ’10. As a redshirt freshman, Gurley played in all 13 games with five starts and ranked third on the squad with 440 yards receiving on 31 grabs (14.2 avg.) with two TDs.
Hoese (HAZE-ee), 22, appeared in 11 games with seven starts as a senior in 2010. He rushed for 53 yards and three TDs on 19 carries, and added 97 yards receiving on 12 catches. As a junior, Hoese posted 103 rushing yards and a TD on 29 attempts along with 11 catches for 87 yards and a score. He began his career as a walk-on safety before converting to fullback prior to his sophomore campaign.
Jennings, 23, earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors as a senior when he posted a career-high 84 tackles and matched his career best with three interceptions. As a junior in 2009, he ranked second on the squad with 64 tackles and tied for the conference lead with three fumble recoveries. He finished his career with 241 tackles, eight interceptions, 15 pass breakups and two sacks.
Joseph, 23, was a second-team All-Mid-American Conference selection as a senior and also was the recipient of the team’s Carlos Diaz Award as the most improved player. He played in 11 games with eight starts at MLB and finished second on the team with 71 tackles. As a junior in 2009, Joseph recorded 63 tackles, including 6½ for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles on his way to earning first-team All-MAC honors.
Lattimore, 22, was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, recording 68 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 11½ sacks, two forced fumbles, two blocked kicks and a fumble recovery. He earned second-team All-Sun Belt Conference recognition as a junior when he posted 47 tackles, including 9½ tackles for loss, and 5½ sacks. Lattimore finished his career ranked second in school history with 20½ sacks in three seasons, appearing in all 38 games with 26 starts.
Ross, 21, was a four-year letterwinner, appearing in 45 games with 33 starts during his career. He earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference recognition as a senior when he led the team with three interceptions and added 60 tackles (40 solo). Ross earned honorable mention all-conference honors at safety as a sophomore in 2008 before moving to cornerback for his final two seasons.
Saine, 22, appeared in 49 games with 17 starts for the Buckeyes and finished his career with 1,408 rushing yards and 17 TDs. He was voted team captain as a senior and was a member of the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list. Saine posted a career-high 739 rushing yards and four TDs on 145 carries (5.1 avg.) as a junior in 2009. He added 616 receiving yards and eight TDs on 55 catches (11.2 avg.) during his career.
Sherman, 23, was a four-year starter at tackle for the Dukes and earned second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors as a senior. He earned third-team all-conference recognition as a sophomore and junior. In 2008, Sherman helped the Dukes average 38.1 points and 282.8 rushing yards per game.
Smithson, 23, was named a Walter Camp first-team All-America at punt returner as a senior in 2010 after leading the nation in punt return average (19.1) and punt return yards (572). He was named a first-team All-America all-purpose back by Scout/FoxSports.com as a senior and earned second-team All-America honors at punt returner from CBSSports.com and Phil Steele. Smithson added 383 receiving yards and three TDs on 25 catches (15.3 avg.) in 2010.
So’oto (so-OH-toe), 24, started all 13 games at defensive end as a senior and earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors. He paced the team with 11½ tackles for loss and five sacks, adding 45 tackles, eight QB hurries, an interception and a forced fumble. So’oto also saw action at tight end earlier in his collegiate career, posting 124 yards on 12 receptions (10.3 avg.) as a sophomore in 2007.
Taylor, 22, appeared in 46 games with 20 starts for the Sun Devils and finished his career with 112 receptions for 1,433 yards (12.8 avg.) and seven TDs. He led the team in receptions (54) and receiving yards (699) as a senior, posting career highs in each category. Taylor added three TD receptions in 2010, matching his career best, and registered five six-catch games on the season.