Monmouth Looks to Improve on Defense

Coming off a 5-6 season in which defense was their main problem Monmouth University football coach Kevin Callahan believes he addressed specific needs with the addition of 21 student-athletes to the Hawks program.  Nine of the incoming players are defensive linemen and linebackers which should help bolster a defense which allowed 40 points in each of Monmouth’s final three games of the 2011 season.

The new class includes defensive back JOE JOHNSON of Manchester who was the Shore Sports Network’s Ocean County Defensive Player of the Year.  Among other members of the SSN’s “Fabulous 44” who signed letters of intent with Monmouth were Red Bank Catholic defensive lineman JACK EISTESTADT,  Brick Township linebacker TOM WINTERS and linebacker JOHN SIECZKOWSKI of Manalapan.

The 2012 recruiting class includes three mid-year enrollees, among them DIMITRIUS SMITH a 2011 graduate of Jackson Memorial High School.  Smith spent this past fall at Milford Academy Prep School and is from an athletic family as brother J.R. plays pro basketball and brother Chris is a senior basketball player at Louisville.