COYOTES SIGN NAIA ALL-AMERICAN/MID-SOUTH OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR JACOB RUSSELL

(INDIO) – NAIA All-American and Mid-South Conference 2015 Offensive Player of the Year Jacob Russell, a 6-4, 235-pound quarterback who averaged 352.7 yards a game and shattered passing records at Campbellsville University, will continue his career with the four-time champion SoCal Coyotes, the professional non-profit sports leadership organization announced today.

Russell, who was also named the 2015  National Christian College Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year, directed the nation’s number-one NAIA offense, and led Campbellsville to two straight division championships in his two seasons at the school. He threw for 3,676 yards and 42 touchdowns his senior year, and was Conference Player of the Week eight times in his career.

Russell also carries the endorsement of quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr., whose clients include Jameis Winston, Andrew Luck and Cam Newton.  When asked by ESPN for an ‘under-the-radar’ quarterback who he thinks is NFL-ready, Whitfield chose Russell. “Easy,” said Whitfield. “Arm. Size. Talent. Power. Accurate.”

Russell spent three weeks working with Whitfield in California, then participated in the College Gridiron Showcase in Dallas in January, where he performed in front of scouts from the NFL, Canadian Football League and Arena Football League, as well as Coyotes director of pro personnel Marvin Jones. After going undrafted, Russell said the Coyotes were “the best option to win a championship, and keep improving as a player, and as a man.”

As a senior, Russell set 10 Campbellsville records, including career passing yards (6,681), single-season passing yards; and career passing touchdowns (66).  He transferred to Campbellsville from the University of Kentucky, where he played both baseball and football.

“Everyone sees the gaudy numbers that Jake consistently produces, but what they don’t see is his grind and his focused pursuit of perfection that takes place every day of his week,” said Campbellsville quarterback coach Hunter Cantwell. “There is never a moment that he’s not locked in to making himself and his team better. He gives 110-percent in the weight room, on the practice field, in the film room, and in the classroom.”

The son of Eddie and Judy Russell, Jacob has been a 4.0 student since high school, where he was a four-year starter and 5-A Player of the Year at Anderson County High School in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. He scored a startling 32 on the NFL Wonderlic test.

Coyotes team president Don West Jr. and Jones finalized Russell’s transition to America’s #1 Developmental Pro Football Program Monday night. Athletic Director Sean Tully said Russell is now enrolled in the team’s Head of Household Work Leadership (HOWL) Program and will complete his orientation and medical intake with Director of Operations Cinthia Paiz today.

Russell reports to the Coyotes July 28, where he joins an incoming rookie class expected to rival any in franchise history.  The Coyotes, who went 11-1 last fall, are the defending LCFL champions. This will be their first season in the vaunted Southern California Football League, home to four of the nation’s top 10 teams.

The Coyotes open at home at Shadow Hills August 13, against the Central Coast Seminoles of Oxnard.

SILVER STRETCH – Russell was already deep in the Coyotes Silver Stretch Run ‘n’ Shoot playbook Tuesday morning. He will enter training camp behind incumbent Zach Adkins, who last year threw for 4,343 yards and 64 touchdowns, and set 13 franchise records.

ON THE FIELD, 70 PLAYERS EACH YEAR earn the distinction of ‘Defending the Shield’ in the uniform of the SoCal Coyotes. Many will earn a shot with NFL, CFL or AFL opportunities, or graduate into business careers. Off the field, more than 30,000 Coachella Valley youth annually participate in Coyote Leadership Training and receive published Coyote Leadership Curriculum.

THE SOCAL COYOTES affect every community they touch. Coyote programs reach thousands of youth through coordinated efforts with numerous local charitable and civic organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA, the Desert Strength Academy, the Boys & Girl Scouts of America, and Rotary International.

DISCOVER how The Pro Football Educator, operated by former Denver Broncos GM and two-time Super Bowl winner Ted Sundquist, selected the SoCal Coyotes as America’s #1 Developmental Pro Football Program. Visit www.thesocalcoyotes.com.

-Michele Tully, Director of Marketing ([email protected])