The Robert Morris University football program has announced that three players have signed National Letters of Intent with the Colonials, including Western Pennsylvania recruits Chad Parker (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Penn Hills) and Brandon Carter (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Carrick) and defensive lineman Andy Walton (New Waterford, Ohio / Crestview). As well as the three NLI signees, 15 other players have agreed to continue their careers at RMU under head coach Joe Walton for the 2006 campaign.

Parker, 6'4” and 205 pounds, passed for over 1,300 yards last season for Penn Hills and served two years as the starting quarterback for the Indians. He was a four-year letterwinner in both football and basketball at Penn Hills and in 2005 earned All-Quad East Second Team honors. Carter, meanwhile, was a four-year starter for Carrick at middle linebacker and finished his career with 374 tackles. The 6'1”, 230-pounder was named the Most Valuable Player of the City vs. North All-Star Game, and besides football is a two-time city champion in wrestling. Walton, 6'5”, 270 pounds, was a four-year letterwinner at Crestview, which won 17 straight Tri-County League (TCL) games through the end of the 2005 campaign. Walton was the Morning Journal's Lineman of the Year in 2005 and garnered all-state first team honors as a senior.

Of the 15 other players to join the 2006 Colonials, 10 hail from Pennsylvania, three from Ohio and one each from Maryland and New Jersey. Six players to join the Colonials from Pennsylvania with WPIAL ties include linebackers Ian Milanak (North Apollo, Pa. / Apollo-Ridge) and Chris Miller (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear), offensive linemen Tom Murray (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear) and Joe Batiz (Vandergrift, Pa. / Kiski Area), defensive end Matt Burnsworth (Washington, Pa. / Trinity) and wide receiver Ryan Radebach (Vandergrift, Pa. / Kiski Area).

A three-year starter at Apollo-Ridge, the 5'11”, 215-pound Milanak garnered numerous honors in 2005, including Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, All-Eastern Conference First Team and All-WPIAL First Team accolades according to both the Valley News Dispatch and the Kittanning Leader Times. The 6'1”, 195-pound Miller was Brashear's 2005 team captain and was an All-City selection and participated in the City vs. North All-Star Game. At 6'1”, 305 pounds, Murray is a two time All-City Team selection (2004, 2005) and like Carter and Miller played in the City vs. North All-Star Game. He was also nominated to play in the All-Star Bowl at Kent State University.

Batiz should prove to be an able offensive lineman for the Colonials, as the 6'6”, 325-pounder was a four-year letterwinner and two-year starter at Kiski. Burnsworth finished the 2005 season with 43 tackles, including six and-a-half sacks, and four fumble recoveries for Trinity, helping him earn All-Quad Southwest First Team and second team all-conference honors. The 5'11”, 240-pound defensive lineman helped Trinity rank third in the conference in total defense. Finally, the 6'1”, 175-pound Radebach was a two-way player at Kiski, playing both wide receiver and defensive back. During his senior year in 2005 Radebach was named second team all-conference at defensive back and honorable mention all-conference at wide receiver, and he finished his career ranked seventh in the Kiski record book for catches.

Also joining Robert Morris in 2006 from the state of Pennsylvania are quarterback Camdin Crouse (Snow Shoe, Pa. / Bald Eagle), tight end Shawn Giewont (Erie, Pa. / Seneca), linebacker Donny Cioffi (East Stroudsburg, Pa. / East Stroudsburg) and offensive lineman Rick Beim (Portage, Pa. / Portage).

A two-year starter at Bald Eagle High School, the 6'1”, 200-pound Crouse threw for 1,051 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior in 2005, helping him earn All-Mountain Athletic Conference Second Team accolades. On his career, he owns Bald Eagle school records for completions (171), touchdown passes (23) and passing yards (2,680). At 6'4”, 225 pounds, Giewont finished with 11 catches for 205 yards and five touchdowns as a senior in 2005 and also played on defense, recording 40 tackles, including seven sacks. For those efforts he was named second team all-state at tight end and first team All-District 10 on both offense and defense.

Cioffi finished his career with over 300 career tackles as a three-year starter at East Stroudsburg High School. The 5'11”, 200-pound linebacker was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the Pocono Record in 2005 and garnered a spot on the Pennsylvania Sports Fever All-State Team. Beim, 6'2”, 295 pounds, was a four-year letterwinner at Portage and was twice named to the all-area first team according to the Altoona Mirror as well as being a Class A all-state selection in 2005. In his three years as a starter on the offensive line, Portage finished 24-6 and in 2005 averaged 294.2 rushing yards and 32.9 points per game.

Coming to play football in 2006 for Robert Morris from the state of Ohio are a pair from Cardington High School in Cardington, Ohio, in tailback R.J. Knauber (Cardington, Ohio / Cardington) and center Ross McDonald (Mount Vernon, Ohio / Cardington) as well as running back Ryan Smith (Mayfield, Ohio / Mayfield).

A two-year starter at Cardington High School at center, the 6'2”, 260-pound McDonald helped open holes for fellow high school and now college teammate Knauber, a 6'1”, 200-pound tailback that rushed for 3,388 yards and 37 touchdowns in two seasons as a starter for the Pirates. In both 2004 and 2005, Knauber garnered All-Ohio First Team, All-Central District First Team and All-MOAC First Team honors. In 2005 the 6'2”, 200-pound Smith rushed over 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns, helping him earn All-Western Reserve Conference, all-district and all-messenger first team honors.

Also joining Robert Morris in 2006 is linebacker Joe Recupero (Mullica Hill, N.J. / Gloucester Catholic) and linebacker/tight end Greg Carey (Frederick, Md. / Walkersville). Recupero established a new Gloucester Catholic High School single-season record in 2005 with 134 tackles, helping him earn All-Parochial First Team honors. He was also the recipient of the Adam Taliaferro Player of the Year Award in 2005, which is given to the individual who raises the most money for the Taliaferro Foundation. The foundation, which helps athletes who suffer spinal cord injuries, also hosts the Adam Taliaferro Classic, an All-Star Game in June in which Recupero, 6'1”, 235 pounds, will participate. Carey, at 6'2” and 200 pounds, played linebacker, tight end and kicker for Walkersville High School. In 2005 he finished with 38 tackles, including five and-a-half sacks, from his linebacker position while also averaging 8.2 yards per catch.

Robert Morris will play its 13th season of I-AA intercollegiate football in 2006, all of which have come under the program's only head coach in Walton. He has guided the Colonials to an overall record of 75-45-1 (.624 winning percentage) and under his watch the club has claimed five Northeast Conference titles (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000), a pair of I-AA mid-major national championships (1999, 2000) according to Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette and two ECAC Classic victories (1996, 1997).