The Green Bay Packers Friday signed 10 rookie free agents and waived linebacker Ike Emodi. Ted Thompson, Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations, announced the additions to the team's roster:
Wide Receivers (2)
19 Vince Butler, 6-0, 195, Northwestern Okla. St.
13 Chris Samp, 6-3, 224, Winona State
Running Backs (1)
42 Chaz Williams, 5-9, 213, Georgia Southern
Tight ends (1)
49 Garrett Cross, 6-4, 245, California
Offensive Linemen (1)
68 Chris White, 6-2, 294, Southern Miss.
Linebackers (2)
45 Roy Manning, 6-2, 252, Michigan
46 Zac Woodfin, 6-1, 239, Alabama-Birmingham
Cornerbacks (1)
39 Leigh Torrence, 5-11, 185, Stanford
Defensive Tackles (1)
61 A.J. Lindsay, 6-3, 323, Temple
Punters (1)
9 Bryce Benekos, 6-5, 227, UTEP
Benekos, 21, served as UTEP's punter each of the past four seasons, earning first-team All-Western Athletic Conference in 2004, when he led the conference and finished seventh in the nation with a 44.06 gross average. A big, strong-legged punter who kicked off early in his college career, he served as a team captain in 2004, helping the Miners to a bowl game. Earlier, he played quarterback and receiver at Ayala High School in Chino Hills, Calif. His name is pronounced, "buh-NECK-ohs."
Butler, 23, was a two-year starter at Nicholls State before moving to Northwestern Oklahoma State. He started every game each of the last three years, as a senior averaging 14.4 yards per catch (32 receptions, 362 yards) with three touchdowns.
Cross, 22, played at Cal with Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay's first-round selection in the 2005 draft. Ironically, Cal coach Jeff Tedford discovered Rodgers while scouting Cross at Butte (Calif.) Junior College. Both players wound up at Cal, where Cross caught 44 passes for 512 yards and eight touchdowns in 22 games. A first-team junior college All-American at Butte, Cross lettered in three sports (football, basketball and track) at Chico (Calif.) High School.
Lindsay, 21, spent his final collegiate season at Temple after two years at Joliet (Ill.) Junior College. A wide, run-stopping tackle, he recorded 29 stops in 2004, with three tackles for loss and 1/2 sack. Durable, Lindsay missed only one game over his college career. As a freshman, he made 25 tackles, helping Joliet to an 11-0 record and the 2002 NJCAA national championship.
Manning, 23, lettered four years at Michigan. Finally receiving a starting role as a fifth-year senior in 2004, he earned the Roger Zatkoff Award, named after the former Packers player, as the Wolverines' top linebacker. Last season, he posted 39 tackles (29 solo) with one sack, six tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three passes defensed. He also lettered in basketball and baseball at Saginaw (Mich.) High School.
Samp, 24, led Division II last year in receiving yards (1,587) and TDs (22) at Winona State. A tough, workhorse receiver, he earned first-team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association. Samp followed his father, a former collegiate receiver, to Winona State. A 1999 graduate of Green Bay's Preble High School, Samp and his family live in Algoma, Wis.
Torrence, 23, started the last three years at boundary cornerback for Stanford, playing in every game from 2001-04. In 2004, he tied for third in the Pac-10 with four interceptions and finished his career with seven thefts. An Academic All-Conference choice, he made the cross-country transition to Stanford from his home in Atlanta, where he starred in football and track at Marist High School.
White, 22, started two years at Southern Miss after transferring from Holmes Community College. Slightly undersized, he'll shift to guard with the Packers after a successful career as the Golden Eagle's starting tackle. A multi-sport athlete, he played football, basketball and track at Winona (Miss.) High School.
Williams, 22, played quarterback in a wing-T offense at Georgia Southern, and has the skills to potentially become an NFL running back, a role on which he concentrated at the Las Vegas Bowl college all-star game. A team leader, Williams started for three seasons as his school's option quarterback. In 2004, he led all Division I-AA players in scoring, averaging 12.67 points per game (25 rushing touchdowns), and averaged 4.1 yards per carry (179 attempts, 737 yards). Williams also lettered in track and weightlifting at Apopka (Fla.) High School.
Woodfin, 22, played in all 46 UAB games during his four years (2001-04) at the school, starting the last 35 in consecutive fashion. An energetic, explosive linebacker, he originally broke the school record with 120 tackles in 2002, as a sophomore, then shattered that mark with 149 as a junior in 2003, when he was first-team all-conference. Woodfin also departed with the school record in career tackles, and ended a memorable career by helping the Blazers to their first-ever bowl game.
Emodi had spent the season's final four weeks on the practice squad. He re-signed in January as a reserve/future free agent.
