April 27, 2006

ITHACA, N.Y. - It doesn't get much bigger than this ... an anxious 6-4, 327-pound offensive lineman waiting to hear his name called, and a preview of what Jim Knowles expects to be his best Cornell football team in his tenure.

On Saturday, April 29, the Big Red will play its annual Red-White Spring Game at approximately 4 p.m. (after the men's lacrosse game against Brown at 1 p.m.) at Schoellkopf Field, while that same afternoon the NFL Draft will commence in New York City, with Kevin Boothe expecting to hear his name called in the seven-round allocation event. The Spring Game is free and open to the public.

The Red-White Game will be played in an offense vs. defense setting again this year, with a bit of a twist. The Red team, made up of the defense, will open the contest with 29 points on the scoreboard and will only be able to add to its total with a defensive score (safety, fumble return for a TD, interception return for a TD), while the offense will try and cut into the lead with rushing or passing touchdowns, as well as with special teams returns and field goals.

For more information on the Spring Game, call the Cornell football office at (607) 255-0026. In addition, the loser of the spring game, including the coaching staff, will have primary duties in washing cars for charity on Sunday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ShortStop Deli on West Seneca Street in Ithaca. It is a great opportunity to rid your car of any winter elements, while meeting the Big Red football staff and members of the Big Red. This open donation event will benefit Family and Children's Service of Ithaca.

Boothe, a consensus All-American and three-time first-team All-Ivy pick, is expected to become the highest NFL Draft pick since record-breaking running back Chad Levitt `97 was selected in the fourth round of the 1997 draft by the Oakland Raiders. Boothe has been predicted to land in the third or fourth round by most draft experts, with ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. saying he could go as high as the second round.

Boothe was named to All-America first team by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and to the second team by the The Sports Network and the Associated Press. He was also a four-time All-Ivy selection. Boothe started all 10 games at left tackle this past season, leading an offensive line where the other four lineman had a combined total of 14 varsity appearances entering the campaign. The tri-captain turned that line into one of the best in the nation, as the Cornell running game averaged 248.9 yards per game (eighth nationally). The Big Red offense ran for 26 touchdowns and averaged 4.4 yards per carry.

The Plantation, Fla., native blocking helped senior quarterback Ryan Kuhn and sophomore running back Luke Siwula to first-team All-Ivy honors. That duo became the second pair of Ivy teammates to both rush for 1,000 yards in the same season and ranked among the nation's top 25 rushers.

Boothe was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy pick in each of his final two years and is just the fourth Cornell player to earn first-team all-league honors three times, joining Ed Marinaro (RB, 1969-70-71), Bob Lally (LB, 1971-72-73) and Chad Levitt (RB, 1994-95-96). He is the first first-team All-America selection at Cornell since 1998 when John Hansen was picked to the top team.