Rams Seniors Play Final Regular Season Game

The 2004 class of football players will go down in history as one of the best group of players to walk on to the field for Colorado State University. One of the characteristics that has become synonymous with this group of players is that the game always seems to come down to the wire. During the five seasons most of these athletes have been here, they have had their best seasons when they have pulled the close games out at the end. They have not finished nearly so well during the years when they have come up short at the end of games.

Out of the 60 games the Rams have played in during these seniors? careers, 30 have been decided by eight points or less. When it has come right down to it, these players? success has been measured based on how they finished in close games. In 1999 they finished 8-4 and lost in the Liberty Bowl to Southern Mississippi. They were 2-2 in close games. In 2000 the team had an amazing year, finishing 10-2 and defeating Louisville in the Liberty Bowl. They had a 5-2 record in close games. The team had a down year in 2001, but still won the New Orleans Bowl against North Texas to finish 7-5. That season they were 4-3 in the nail biters. Last season the team surpassed everybody?s expectations to win the conference championship and finished 10-4 after a loss to a tough TCU team at the Liberty Bowl. The Rams were able to make plays at the end of every ball game and won seven of nine games that were decided by eight points or less. This season has been the complete opposite of last season. High expectations were placed on the team at the beginning of the season as the Rams were heading in with one of the most talented teams in school history. However, it has been their inability to come away with the ?W? at the end of ball games. They are just 1-4 in close ball games this year, which has left many searching for answers as the team sits at 6-5 with just one game left. The main difference between last year?s impressive team and this year?s team is the end result of the close games.

Despite the disappointment this season, the Rams will still lose much when these 20 seniors graduate. They will lose six starters on offense and eight starters on defense. Here is a brief look at the class of 2004.

# 11 QB Bradlee Van Pelt: Van Pelt started his college career at Michigan State but when they wanted to switch him to another position he decided to transfer so he could still play quarterback. The school of his choice was Colorado State. Van Pelt is known on the field as a warrior. He has the ability to make something out of nothing and make plays nobody would have thought possible. His elusiveness comes from his days of playing soccer as a kid. He has set several school records at CSU and has provided a weapon that opponents have a tough time preparing for. Earlier this year he became just the fourth player in NCAA history to pass for 5,000 yards and run for 2,000 yards. Off the field Van Pelt is known for his hobbies skateboarding and snowboarding.

# 3 RB Rahsaan Sanders: Sanders got a taste of Rams football while he was in high school. He got a job selling programs at the Rams Holiday Bowl game in 1997 in his hometown of San Diego, Calif. He had a chance to work out with the team down there and made his decision to come here after visiting Fort Collins. He came in as a true freshman and filled in for the former CSU standout Kevin McDougal who went down with an injury. In 2000 he split time with Cecil Sapp but missed the entire 2001 season with a severe hamstring injury. The past two years Sanders has done a solid job as both a starter and backup for Colorado State.

# 6 WR Chris Pittman: During Pittman?s first two seasons he spent valuable time learning from a core of great wide receivers which included Frank Rice, Dallas Davis and Pete Rebstock. Last season Pittman came into his own catching a team high 60 passes, the fifth most in school history. Now he is a go-to-guy for the Rams and has combined with sophomore David Anderson as one of the best receiving tandems ever at Colorado State. It is lighthearted attitude in the locker room, at practice and on gameday that helps keep his team stay loose and stay focused.

# 7 WR Eric Hill: Hill has spent time as a two-sport star at Colorado State. As predominately a wide receiver in football and a sprinter on the track and field team, Hill has kept busy year-round. He has been a key player on the Rams offense over the past four seasons. This season he has set career highs in receiving with 14 catches for 246 yards and two touchdowns. He had his best game of his career against BYU when he caught three passes for 97 yards including his only two career touchdowns.

# 83 WR Russell Sprague: A small town quarterback, made wide receiver is the story of Sprague?s career. Sprague left Holyoke to come and play with his brother Aaron at CSU. Playing on the opposite side of the ball he learned a lot from his brother and was splitting time as the third wide receiver for the Rams this season before injuring his knee. Sprague has graduated and is working on his Masters degree in speech communications. He is married to his high school sweetheart Billie.

#89 TE James Sondrup: A native of Fort Collins, James Sondrup grew up around football and really never thought twice about coming to Colorado State. His father, Ron, played at CSU and his older brother, Ryan, played football at Wisconsin. He also had an older sister, Jennifer, who was an all-conference player in the WAC for Tulsa. Sondrup is a back-up tight end for the Rams but primarily plays on special teams as a blocker on extra point attempts and field goals.

# 60 OL Jamie Amicarella: Amicarella came to Fort Collins from Florida and made an immediate impact for Fort Collins High School. He started his college career at Montana State and started but decided to transfer back to Fort Collins and play for the Rams. He played in every game last year for CSU and has started every game this season. On an offensive line that has been riddled with injury this season Amicarella has been a solid starter.

# 70 OL Mark Dreyer: Working on his parents? farm just outside of Brighton, Dreyer gained his strong work ethic from getting up early to milk and feed cows. That work ethic has carried over to his senior season. Coming in with 26 consecutive starts, he has played through injuries to both hands through most of this year. He played the entire California game with a torn ligament in his right hand and then went to snapping the ball with his left hand after having surgery and missing two games. In the Utah game he smashed his left hand on a helmet and lost his thumbnail but continued to play despite the swelling. As the anchor of the offensive line, he has shown poise and strength playing through injury to help his team.

# 75 OL Zeke Hacker: Not too many athletes can brag and say they played on a National Championship team, but Zeke Hacker can. He started his college career at Butler County Community College in Kansas and with them when they won the National Junior College national championship. With the winning experience he transferred to Colorado State as a walk-on so he could play with his friend and former high school rival Henri Childs. This season Hacker has played a vital role filling in for the Ram offensive line that has been plagued with injuries. Hacker, a finance major, wants to manage portfolios when his football career is over.

# 76 OL Terrell Gardner: Coming out of Central High School in Omaha, Nebr., Terrell Gardner definitely fit the mold as an ideal offensive lineman standing 6?6? and weighing in at 340 pounds. Gardner met with Colorado State?s staff and liked whom he talked to and the atmosphere around the coaches and players. He sat out his first year here but spent time in the weight room getting stronger and worked out with his uncle Leondre Anderson, a former Nebraska defensive lineman and NFL player, to get in shape, eat better and lose weight. Since then he has been a contributor to the Rams? special teams unit and the offensive line. Last season he even saw time at fullback in goal line situations.

# 96 DE Andre Sommersell: Sommersell has been moved around to different positions throughout his career at Colorado State, but has performed exceptionally at each. Last year he spent time at linebacker for the Rams, but this year he has started every game at defensive end. Sommersell played high school ball in Fountain Valley, Calif., but was originally born in Guyana, South America. He has been a key part of the improved defensive line this season.

# 95 DT Bryan Save: After living in Hawaii for five years, Save?s family moved to California. In high school he played football and wrestled. The wrestling made him tougher and gave him mental toughness. The skills he learned as a wrestler has helped him in late game situations for football when he is trying to wrestle his way past the offensive lineman. When Save is not battling it out on the field he likes to spend his free time watching movies and reading.

# 57 DT Lavell Mann: This season Lavell Mann has improved by leaps and bounds. Entering the season as a starter he had the biggest game of his college career in the season opener against in-state rival Colorado, recording five tackles and two sacks. He is currently tied for the team lead in sacks and has a career high in tackles. Mann transferred to Colorado State after playing for two years at Long Beach City College in his hometown.

# 45 LB Jeff Flora: There aren?t a lot of players that have played at CSU who have had direct ties to two of the Rams? biggest rivals. Flora started out playing for in-state rival Colorado but decided the Buffs weren?t for him and Fort Collins felt more like home so he transferred to play at the same school where his father played. Not only did he look forward to playing his former team CU earlier this season, he also looked forward to Wyoming. His little brother John plays on the defensive line for the Cowboys. Flora has started every game this season for the Rams and is fourth on the team in tackles.

# 50 LB Drew Wood: There was a lot of pressure on Wood growing up in a basketball family when he was little. His father was his high school basketball coach at Buena Vista and his two brothers both have gone on to play basketball in college. However, Wood felt he had a better shot to make it in football. Colorado State is certainly happy with his choice. He has been one of the team?s best players and leaders since taking over the starting job in the middle part of the 2001 season. Wood doesn?t love just football. Two years ago he spent his summer as a whitewater rafting guide on the Arkansas River. He also enjoys writing when he gets a chance. He wants to write fantasy books similar to Lord of the Rings.

# 33 LB Eric Pauly: Eric Pauly had high expectations coming into this season as one of the best linebackers in the Mountain West Conference. Through the first five games of the season he certainly was living up to the high billing, leading the team in tackles and sacks. However, in the third quarter of the Utah game Pauly went down with a season ending knee injury and the Rams defense hasn?t been the same since. Growing up Pauly came from a big family with eight brothers and two sisters. His younger brother Nathan is a freshman at CSU this season and he also has a brother playing at Pittsburg State. Pauly is engaged to his high school sweetheart Terra who currently attends the University of Kansas.

# 13 DB Curt Beling: Curt Beling ended his senior season a lot sooner than he hoped he would. He suffered a season ending knee injury in the season opener against Colorado, but has already decided what he is going to do after college. He originally came to CSU to be a veterinarian and decided to walk-on to the football team after talking to his friend, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Chad Brown. He has since changed his mind and will join the Navy. After the season he will go to Pensacola, Fla. to attend officer candidate school.

# 25 DB Benny Mastropaolo: Mastropaolo is another Ram who transferred to Colorado State and made a big impact immediately. After playing two years at Fullerton Junior College in California he walked on to the football team here and spent the start of last season as the nickelback and backup safety. He impressed coaches with his play on the field and became a starter for the final eight games of the season. This year he has started every game and is tied for the team lead in tackles. After graduating from CSU Mastropaolo wants to go back to California and attend Graduate school to pursue a Masters degree in Civil Engineering.

# 5 DB Dexter Wynn: During his career at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, Wynn always had high hopes of going to a major Division I school like Florida State. When he came to Fort Collins for a visit he liked the color of their uniforms, the style of the helmets and the fact that it was close to his family. Wynn is well known as being one of the best-dressed players on the team. He wears a chain around his neck that shows his style, a chain his uncle gave him that he has worn for the last five years. On the field Wynn has the same bold style. He looks just as good making tacklers miss on his way to big gains on kick and punt returns. Throughout his college career he has been among the nation?s leaders in kick and punt returns.

# 7 P Tyler Powell: Powell grew up on a farm just outside Yuma, Colo. He came to Colorado State and joined the Rams as a walk-on in 2001. During his summer breaks he goes back home to help out on the farm. After he graduates he wants to be a firefighter. Three years ago he went to the fire academy in Avon. He also enjoys mountain climbing. He is currently trying to climb all of the 14ers in Colorado. Powell has spent his two years at CSU as the backup punter.

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