Post by The Cats on Aug 26, 2024 5:30:42 GMT -5
It's now 3 days until the kickoff of Catamount Football on Thursday, August 29, 2024, against the NC State Wolfpack in Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day.
Today we will highlight two players that wear #3, one on offense and one of defense:
#3 Calvin Jones
Position Wide Receiver
Height 5-10
Weight 185
Class Redshirt Junior
Hometown Forest City, N.C.
High School East Rutherford HS
2023 (Redshirt Sophomore): Played in all 11 of the team’s games with 10 starts at wide receiver … Caught 27 passes for 348 yards with two receiving touchdowns, averaging 12.9 yards per catch … His 31.6 receiving yard per game average was 14th in the SoCon … Added 11 kickoff returns for 252 yards, ranking fourth in the SoCon with a 22.9 yard per return average … Caught four passes for 32 yards with a pair of kickoff returns for 37 yards in totaling 69 all-purpose yards at SEC-foe Arkansas (Sept. 2) … Posted a season-best five receptions twice with five catches for 65 yards at The Citadel (Sept. 30) and five for a season-high 89 yards and a score against Mercer (Oct. 28), adding four kickoff returns for 105 yards in amassing a season-best 194 all-purpose yards … Caught four passes for 60 yards and a TD at Wofford (Nov. 4) ... Named to the 2023-24 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
2022 (Sophomore): Missed the season due to an injury suffered in 2022 spring practice ... Was a second-team preseason All-Southern Conference selection at return specialist by the league's head coaches ... Named a third-team Preseason All-America selection by both Stats Perform FCS and Phil Steele as a kick returner ... Was additionally a first-team All-SoCon selection at WR and kick returner by Phil Steele ... Named to the 2022-23 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
2021 (Freshman*): Played in all 11 of the team's games with 10 starts at wide receiver ... Finished third on the team in receptions with 38 catches and was second in both receiving yards with 651 and receiving touchdowns with four ... Ranked seventh in the SoCon with a 57.9 receiving yards per game average ... Added 13 rushing yards and 590 yards with a TD on kickoff returns to amass 1,254 all-purpose yards .. Led the SoCon in kick return average at 31.1 yards per return and was fifth in the league in all-purpose yards, averaging 112.7 yards per game ... Had 100-or-more all-purpose yards five times ... Caught at least one pass in each game played including a career-high 10 for 195 yards and a score at VMI (Nov. 20) ... Finished with 30 total points on five touchdowns - four receptions and a career-long 95-yard kickoff return against ETSU (Nov. 13), where he recorded a career-high 305 all-purpose yards ... Earned SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 15) plaudts after his career day against ETSU ... Added five total tackles on special teams ... Collected second-team All-Southern Conference honors from the SoCon Sports Media Association as a return specialist ... Was a Freshman All-America at return specialist by HERO Sports ... Was named fourth-team All-America selection by Phil Steele and was dubbed FCS Freshman All-America first-team as a kick returner and third-team as a wide receiver by Phil Steele.
2020-21 (Freshman): Played in all nine games on the season with three starts at wide receiver … Led the team with 24 receptions and 198 receiving yards, catching one touchdown pass … Returned seven kickoffs for 147 yards including a long of 44 yards, and returned one punt for 12 yards … Made his collegiate debut at Liberty (Nov. 14), recording a rush, a reception, and a kickoff return … Caught a season-best seven passes for 62 yards and his first career touchdown at Samford (Feb. 27) … Hauled in a two-yard TD reception against the Bulldogs … Amassed a season-high 159 all-purpose yards at Mercer (March 20) including five catches for 45 yards, one rush for 14 yards, three kickoff returns for 88 yards and a 12-yard punt return.
Prior to Western Carolina: Four-year varsity letter winner who rushed for 2,437 career yards and 30 touchdowns while also hauling in 71 passes for 1,428 career receiving yards … Finished his prep career with 5,320 all-purpose yards … Listed as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com … Amassed 542 all-purpose yards – 346 rushing, 111 receiving, 60 punt return and 25-yard passing – and scored eight touchdowns – rushing, receiving, passing, and on a punt return – in his final high school game … Earned both News 13 WLOS Player of the Week and Player of the Week honors from The Daily Courier … As a junior in 2018, rushed for 683 yards and 10 TDs while catching 16 passes for 308 yards and two TDs as a part of 1,259 all-purpose yards … Defensively, had 77 tackles including 11 for loss and eight interceptions, scoring a pair of defensive touchdowns … High school coach was Clint Bland … Also ran track and wrestled as a prep.
Personal: Full name is Calvin Malik Jones, prefers to go by Cal … Is the son of Aqueesha Mapp.
#3 Samaurie Dukes
Position Cornerback
Height 5-10
Weight 185
Class Junior
Hometown Miami, Fla.
High School Miami HS
2023 (Sophomore): Played in nine of the team’s 11 games with seven starts in the defensive secondary … Finished with 29 total tackles including 20 solo stops and 2.5 tackles for a total of six yards of losses … Tallied four pass break ups and three interceptions … Recorded a tackle in all nine games he played including a season-high six twice – in the season-opener at Arkansas (Sept. 2) and in the road win at nationally-ranked Chattanooga (Oct. 7) … Credited with five solo stops in the road win at Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 16) … Had a tackle for loss, a pass breakup, and his first career interception in the home win over Charleston Southern (Sept. 23) … Intercepted two passes in the home win over ETSU (Nov. 11).
2022 (Freshman): Played in all 11 games on the season with three starts … Tallied 33 tackles with 21 solo stops and two tackles for loss … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener at Charleston Southern (Sept. 3), recording his first career tackle … Was an honorable mention for the FedEx Ground National Freshman of the Week after recording a career-high nine tackles with four solo stops at Mercer (Oct. 8) … Recovered a fumble with two tackles at Furman (Oct. 15) … Posted six tackles with four solo stops against The Citadel (Oct. 22) … Had three tackles and a quarterback hurry against Wofford (Nov. 5) … Named to the 2022 Southern Conference All-Freshman team on defense.
Prior to Western Carolina: Joined the Catamount football team during the spring 2022 semester, participating in annual spring drills ... Recorded two interceptions during WCU's annual Spring Showcase scrimmage ... Played wide receiver and defensive back as a prep, while also returning punts and kickoffs on special teams ... Was the offensive MVP of the annual Private vs. Public High School All-Star Game, catching six passes for 115 yards and a touchdown ... Named All-Dade first-team by the Miami Herald.
