Wheeling, W. Va. - With the 2023 football season in the rearview mirror, the best senior and graduate players across college football are putting their skills on display as they try to make the jump to professional football. The Wheeling University Football team will have two representatives in their first bowl of the off-season this weekend at the 2023 FreeAgentFootball.com (FAF) Pro-Pouch Senior Bowl in Middleton, New York. Long Snapper Shane Tomlin will represent the Cardinals as a member of the South Team and will be coached by Wheeling Football Defensive Coordinator Mott Gaymon, who will serve as Head Coach of the South team.
The FAF Pro Pouch Senior Bowl is entering its 13th season of competition and will feature some of the best talent from across NCAA DI, DII, DIII, and NAIA. Rosters are determined by invite only as scouts go through an 18-month scouting process that concludes in mid-September, with invites going out to players eight weeks prior to the event. Each roster consists of 35 players with four teams total coming from the North, South, East, and West. history of the event, 71% of players who have been selected to the roster are either All-American, All-Region, or All-Conference level talent. The game is entering its third season being played at Faller Field in Middleton, New York, the home field for the Middletown High School football team.
Representing the Cardinas will be Long Snapper Shane Tomlin, who has been the primary long snapper for the Cardinals for each of the past four seasons. He has snapped for some of the top punters and kickers in the program's brief history, including former Cardinal Matt Greenwood as well as current punter and kicker Trey Brady and Joao Lima. He has been a part of some of the biggest moments in the program's history, including snapping what would be the game-winning field goal on senior day during the 2022 season against Fairmont State. Before the season started, Tomlin was tabbed as a member of the Special Teams U All-American Watch List along with snappers from across NCAA DI, DII, and DIII. In the off-season, Tomlin serves as a Rubio Long Snapping Certified Instructor and is looking to put his talents on display as he looks to make the leap to pro ball.
Along with Tomlin playing in the game, the Cardinal's coaching staff will be represented with Defensive Coordinator Mott Gaymon serving as the Head Coach for the South Team. Gaymon has been a member of Zac Bruney's staff since the program's beginnings in 2018 and has captained the Cardinal's defensive effort. Under his watch, the team has allowed an average of 26 points per game or less in each of his six seasons at the helm, including two shutouts during that time. He has coached 16 All-MEC award winners, including three this past season, while helping former Cardinal Richard White III earn a Don Hansen NCAA DII All-American honor a season ago. Joining Gaymon on the South team's coaching staff will be Wheeling Football Graduate Assistant Tyler Bradley and Graduate Assistant Adriel Miller as they get bowl game coaching experience.
Along with the two active members of the team, a Cardinal alumnus rounds out the participants as former Linebacker Jayvon Johnson will also be competing as a member of the south team. Johnson spent five seasons in a Cardinals uniform from 2018-2022 and proved himself as one of the top defenders in school history. He currently holds the school record for total tackles (223), solo tackles (129), and Assisted Tackles, while sitting top three all-time in Tackles for loss (16.5) and tackles for loss yardage (61). His senior season was his most successful in the red and black, as he led the team with 79.0 Total Tackles, 41 solo and 38 assisted, while adding 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two interceptions, and five pass breakups.
The 2023 FAF Pro Pouch Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday, December 3rd, at Faller Field in Middletown, New York. For more information, visit the game's website by clicking HERE.
