The University of Central Arkansas Bears have signed five football players to NCAA national letters of intent, including defensive tackle Greg Mills, tight end Austin Cade, center Tom Brown, offensive tackle Edmundo Martinez and punter Thomas Garland.
Mills, a 6-foot-3, 305-pounder from Coffeyville Community College and Troy State. As a sophomore at Coffeyville, Mills had 86 tackles and 12 sacks and was named first-team All-Jayhawk Conference. He then signed with Division I Troy State but did not play for the Trojans. Mills also visited New Mexico and Wyoming when he left Coffeyville.
Mills attended Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Fla., where he was a two-time high school All-American. He had 65 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior.
Cade, a 6-3, 245-pounder from Tyler Junior College, was a first-team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference in 2003 when he had 10 receptions for 160 yards and played on a team that finished with a 10-2 record.
Cade played at Tyler High School as a senior and was an All-East Texas selection, a two-time All-Henderson County and a two-time All-District 15-3A selection. Cade also had offers from Central Oklahoma and Arkansas-Monticello.
Brown is a 6-1, 270-pound transfer from Kilgore College who was a first-team All-SWJCFC selection and was the 2003 Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Brown played his prep football at Katy High School in Houston where his team won the 5A state championship his junior year and was ranked No. 3 in the USA Today national prep poll. Brown had offers from Tarleton State and Pittsburg State.
Martinez is a 6-3, 290-pounder who will transfer from Kilgore. Kilgore was the 2001 national champion and finished 12-0. Martinez attended Springwood High School in Houston. Martinez had offers from Sam Houston State, Midwestern State and Angelo State.
Garland, a transfer from Copiah-Lincoln College in Wesson, Miss., was a second-team All-Mississippi Junior College selection who averaged 41 yards per punt. He is originally from Copiah (Miss.) Academy.
