June 2, 2011

BALTIMORE, MD -- Armed with a solid returning nucleus and a recent history of success, the Johns Hopkins football team has grabbed national attention heading into the 2011 season as the Blue Jays are ranked 20th in The Sporting News Preseason Top 25. In addition, rising senior wide receiver Sam Wernick landed a spot on The Sporting News Preseason All-America Team. This is the third consecutive year that the Blue Jays have landed in TSN's preseason top 25 as JHU checked in at number 18 in 2009 and number 15 in 2010.

Johns Hopkins posted an 8-3 record, grabbed a share of the Centennial Conference title and beat Lebanon Valley, 44-14, in the ECAC South Atlantic Championship game last season. The Blue Jays won their final five games of the 2010 season by a combined score of 199-57. From that group the Blue Jays will return players who scored 48 of the team's 51 touchdowns and their top eight tacklers.

Wernick enjoyed one of the finest seasons by a wide receiver in school history last season as he had 69 receptions for 1,265 yards and 17 touchdowns en route to earning Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Centennial and Second Team d3football.com All-Region honors. He was also a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and his marks for receiving yards, touchdown receptions, all-purpose yards (1,773) and 100-yard receiving games (7) were JHU single-season records.

In addition to Wernick, Johns Hopkins will also return d3football.com Honorable Mention All-America center Ed Rodger, who will anchor an offensive line that returns four starters. In addition, Hewitt Tomlin (QB), Ryan Piatek (LB) and Mike Milano (S) return after garnering First Team All-Centennial honors a year ago, while Doug Drummond (OL) and Sam Eagleson (CB) grabbed second team honors in 2010. Honorable Mention All-Centennial linebacker Tyler Brown rounds out JHU's eight return all-conference performers.

Johns Hopkins will open the 2011 season at the United States Merchant Marine Academy on September 3.

The Sporting News Preseason Top 20
1. Wisconsin-Whitewater
2. Mount Union (OH)
3. Wesley (DE)
4. St. Thomas (MN)
5. Mary Hardin Baylor (TX)
6. Linfield (OR)
7. North Central (IL)
8. Wittenberg (OH)
9. Saint John's (MN)
10. Montclair St. (NJ)
11. Wheaton (IL)
12. Wartburg (IA)
13. Baldwin Wallace (OH)
14. Thomas More (KY)
15. Bethel (MN)
16. Washington & Jefferson (PA)
17. Cal Lutheran
18. Hardin Simmons (TX)
19. Washington & Lee (VA)
20. Johns Hopkins (MD)

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