SIGNING DAY CELEBRATION

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Bill Curry Press Conference Transcript

ATLANTA--Georgia State's burgeoning football program celebrated another important milestone Wednesday as head coach Bill Curry and his staff signed 26 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on National Signing Day.

These 26 student-athletes will enroll at Georgia State next fall and practice during a redshirt season in 2009 while preparing for the Panthers' first season of competition in 2010. They will join Mark Hogan, Jr., who is already enrolled at Georgia State this semester in forming the Panthers' first freshman class.

"Today is a landmark day for us," said Curry. "I'm sitting here with a list of ?our players' in front of me. This is fun.

"For us to be able bring in a class of this quality is something that we really feel good about. We're not going to put these guys in the Hall of Fame just yet, but these are good football players who are good human beings and also good students.

"We're off to a very good start in terms of the quality of our players. We have a lot of other things to do, but this is definitely a great start."

The group includes 14 players from the state of Georgia, as well as seven from Florida, four from South Carolina and one from Texas.

Highlighting the class are three members of the prestigious Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia Top 150 in quarterbacks Drew Little of Henry County High School and Kelton Hill of Lithia Springs High and defensive back Nathan Anthony of Columbia High.

The Panthers also inked several highly-regarded players from the state of Florida, such as running backs Travis Evans (Williston HS, Williston, Fla.) and Darris Hughes (Clewiston HS, Clewiston, Fla.), running back/wide receiver Parris Lee (Fletcher HS, Jacksonville, Fla.) and linebacker Robert Ferguson (Glades Central HS, Belle Glade, Fla.), and promising linemen such as Harrison Clottey from Grayson High School in the Atlanta area as well as Grant King (Spring Valley HS, Columbia, S.C.) and Ramell Davis (Calhoun County HS, St. Matthews, S.C.) from South Carolina.

"I wish I could tell you how hard our staff has worked," said Curry.

"The reception we have received from high school coaches, high school counselors and parents throughout the state of Georgia has been overwhelmingly positive. That's been really gratifying. When we were able to get these young men and their families to come visit our campus, meet our faculty, meet our academic support people and so on, it was not hard at all to sell Georgia State.

"Georgia State football will be a success, and these guys have bought into the idea of being a part of the beginning."