Northeastern announces 2003 football recruits
With his third recruiting class at Northeastern, Brown continued to add aggressive and athletic players to his roster, specifically adding those who starred on both sides of the ball during their prep careers. The local additions are Weymouth, Mass. product Jason Anzalone (brother of NU defensive end Steve, who was a senior Atlantic 10 All-Conference pick in 2002), Shane Hopkins out of Westwood and Shawnn Gyles from Ayer.
“If there is one word that epitomizes this group of recruits it’s versatility,” Coach Brown said. “These guys can play a number of positions and help us in various areas. Four of the kids have experience at running back, but I wouldn’t say that was a specific area we were targeting, it just so happens that in high school the best player on the team often plays running back. We have talented kids who we’ll bring in and put them in a position that gives them the best chance to play and contribute. This is a class that has the versatility to help fill some holes and add depth right away.“
Anzalone was a three-year starter at linebacker and fullback for Weymouth High School, serving as a team captain in both football and wrestling. As a senior, Anzalone ran for over 1200 yards with 18 TDs and had 125 tackles to finish with nearly 300 for his career. Gyles recorded over 4000 rushing yards and 1400 receiving yards with a total of 64 touchdowns in his career at Ayer High School. In his senior year alone, he had 36 touchdowns with 1733 rushing yards and 667 more receiving. Gyles was named to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette Super Team and was the Lowell Sun Player of the Year. Hopkins, a two-way player out of Massachusetts power Xaverian High, rushed for over 1100 yards with 19 TDs as a senior captain. He also was stellar on the defensive side of the ball, recording 125 tackles last season at linebacker. The 6’2, 230-pound recruit twice earned All-Scholastic honors from both the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald, and was named All-State after his final year. All three of NU’s Massachusetts recruits earned an invitation to the annual Shriners Game.
The Huskies also landed blue-chips from outside the region. Two members of the latest recruiting class — Jay Frank and Joe Procaccini — were teammates at Watchung High School in Watchung Hills, N.J. Frank played numerous positions, including running back and quarterback in a single-wing offense, as well as linebacker. He had 1100 rushing yards with 16 TDs and threw for 725 yards and eight TDs as a senior, while finishing with 33 tackles, two sacks, one interception and a fumble recovery on defense. Procaccini was a two-way lineman. NU’s coaches rave that Procaccini pulls as well as any young guard in the country and helped pave the way for Frank’s success. On the defensive side, Procaccini recorded 54 total tackles, two sacks, four deflections and three fumble recoveries. Both players were All-Skyland Conference and All-County players.
Brown, who also is the team’s defensive coordinator, added two other talented defensive players to his squad. A.J. Lillie, a defensive end who is coming to NU from Gaithersburg, Md. via Bridgton Academy, will bolster the Husky pass rush. Lillie recorded 37 sacks, 185 tackles and 12 fumble recoveries in his career at Gaithersburg High, where he was first-team All-State and played in the Super 44 All-Star game. At Bridgton, Lillie had 28 tackles and three sacks. Lamar Gay will challenge to make an impact immediately in a defensive backfield that will be minus two key graduated players next year, corner Art Smith and fellow senior Kurt Abrams. Gay, a free safety who hails from Sharpsburg, Ga., had 93 tackles, three forced fumbles, five deflected passes and one interception at East Coweta High last year. Gay also played wide receiver in high school, catching 23 passes for four TDs as a senior. He was first-team All-State in Georgia and Defensive Player of the Year in Fayette/Coweta County.
The rookies will join a Northeastern program that is coming off the finest season in its history. The Huskies set a school record for wins with a 10-3 record in 2002, won a share of their first Atlantic 10 title and played in the NCAA playoffs for the first time ever.
"I think this is a group of diverse young men who can help us reach our goal, which is to repeat as Atlantic 10 champions," said NU recruiting coordinator Eddy Morrissey. "It's a good mix of kids who each is very talented with a strong work ethic. Getting some strong local recruits is great for our program, and the top players we've recruited from other parts of the country lend well to the national reputation of success we're trying to build here."
2003 NORTHEASTERN FOOTBALL RECRUITS
Feb. 5, 2003
Seven student-athletes, including three from Massachusetts, have committed to play football at Northeastern, announced fourth-year head coach Don Brown.
Name Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. School(s) Hometown Jason Anzalone Fr. LB/FB 6’2 230 Weymouth HS Weymouth, MA Charles Bradley Fr. LB/FB 6’4 280 Cooper City HS Cooper City, FL Kevin Brown Fr. DB 5’11 180 Pace HS Miami, FL Jay Frank Fr. LB/RB 6’2 215 Watchung HS Watchung Hills, NJ Lamar Gay Fr. FS 6’3 200 East Coweta HS Sharpsburg, GA Shawnn Gyles Fr. RB/FS 6’1 190 Ayer HS Ayer, MA Shane Hopkins Fr. RB/LB 6’2 230 Xaverian HS Westwood, MA A.J. Lillie Fr. DE 6’0 220 Gaithersburg HS/Bridgton Academy Gaithersburg, MD Jeremiah Mason Jr. CB 6’2 200 Strath Haven HS/Bridgton Academy/Syracuse Chester, PA Joe Procaccini Fr. OL/DL 6’4 275 Watchung HS Watchung Hills, NJ Jamil Young Fr. RB 6’0 220 Sussex Central HS Bridgeville, DE 
