Feb. 18, 2005

EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Lafayette head football coach Frank Tavani has announced three additional members to the Leopards' 2005 recruiting class.

Vince Gallo (Paramus, N.J./Paramus), Jason Mills (Stony Point, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) and Tim Watson (Hawley, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) have added their names to the list of 21 previous commitments.

"We're very excited to add these three young men to our recruiting class," Tavani said. "Each of them is an impact player, and we have been impressed with each of them throughout the recruiting process."

Including these three commitments, Lafayette has signed 24 of the 37 student-athletes who took official visits to College Hill during the recruiting season.

Gallo, recruited as a fullback at 6-2 and 230 pounds, was a three-year letterman and all-league performer at fullback and linebacker. An honor roll student, Gallo piled up 2,800 career rushing yards at Paramus.

Mills, a defensive lineman at 6-2 and 225 pounds, lettered in football, basketball and lacrosse at Don Bosco Prep. He was a two-time All-NNJIL-C First-Team selection and garnered All-Bergen County Third-Team honors as a senior. Mills is a member of the honor roll, National Honor Society and French Honor Society.

Watson, a three-year letterman on the gridiron and four-year letterman as a track sprinter, ran for 1,466 yards and scored 21 touchdowns in 2004. A two-time 1,000-yard rusher, the 5-11, 185-pounder also led the state with 630 kickoff return yards as a senior. On the track, Watson holds the school record of 10.88 seconds in the 100-meter dash and is also a member of the school-record-holding 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams.

Lafayette (8-4 overall, 5-1 Patriot League) earned the Patriot League's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs by virtue of its 24-10 win over Lehigh in the 2004 regular season finale. The Leopards are tentatively slated to open their Patriot League title defense at Marist on Sept. 3.