TWO FORMER DUKES SIGN WITH NFL TEAMS

HARRISONBURG, April 26, 2005 – Two former James Madison University football players have signed contracts with National Football League teams. Running back/kick returner Delvin Joyce (Martinsville, Va./Fieldale-Collinsville), who played for the Dukes from 1997-2000, recently signed with the New York Jets, and 2004 JMU senior Tom Ridley (Vienna, Va./Oakton) signed with the Washington Redskins following last weekend's NFL draft.

A 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end, Ridley was a top player on the Dukes' 2004 Division I-AA national championship team. He caught 27 passes, third on the team, and earned third-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors as JMU compiled a 13-2 record. He played in the Hula Bowl in January.

Ridley originally was recruited to JMU as a quarterback. He began playing a key role for the Dukes as a tight end in 2003 and won the starting job at the position with an impressive 2004 spring practice period. He averaged 12.4 yards per reception as JMU's top tight end during the 2004 season.

Ridley had four receptions in a game on two occasions in 2004 – in Dukes' season-opener against Lock Haven and in an Atlantic 10 victory over Hofstra. He had catches in each of JMU's first three Division I-AA playoff wins and three receptions for 32 yards in the team's 31-21 victory over Montana in the national championship game.

The 5-foot-7, 195-pound Joyce played for the New York Giants in 2002 and 2003 before missing last season because of injuries. Joyce has worked extensively as a kick returner at the professional level after becoming the first Division I-AA player to reach the 1,000-yard career mark in each of the statistical categories of rushing, receiving, kickoff returns and punt returns.

While at JMU, Joyce established Division I-AA records for punt return yards and combined kick return yards. He holds JMU's career record of 5,659 all-purpose yards and team career marks for punt return (1,488), kickoff return (1,902) and combined kick return yards (3,390).