Three players will join the Murray State University football team in time for the spring semester, MSU Head Coach Matt Griffin announced today. Defensive back Bruce McCurdy of Brentwood, Tenn., linebacker Wade Peters of Trenton, Mo., and quarterback Nico Yantko of Fairborn, Ohio will join the program at the start of the spring semester. McCurdy will be a freshman with four seasons of eligibility remaining. Peters and Yantko are sophomores.
McCurdy initially signed with Navy but did not enroll in the academy. Peters and Yantko were recruited by Griffin in 2005 at Tennessee-Martin. Peters played in 11 games, primarily on special teams, during his freshman season. Yantko was redshirted and did not appear in any games for the Skyhawks.
“We're very pleased to have these three guys join our program,” Griffin said. “These are three kids who we know very well, especially Wade and Nico. We know these guys will meet our expectations on and off the field.”
McCurdy was a linebacker, tailback and tight end before becoming Brentwood High School's quarterback his senior year. He led the Bruins to an 11-2 record in 2005 and a spot in the quarterfinals of the class 5A state tournament. Both of Brentwood's losses came to state champion Ravenwood.
McCurdy passed for more than 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns his senior season. He tied a school record with four touchdown passes in a game.
He joined current Racers Tamar Butler (Riverdale), Tyler Sinclair (Brentwood) and Charlie Jordan (White Station) on the 2005 Tennessee Sports Writers Association Class 5A All-State Team.
In his one season at UT Martin, Peters recorded two tackles. He started one game, against Arkansas State on Sept. 10, 2005, at free safety. In his last game as a Skyhawk, against Murray State on Nov. 17, Peters blocked a punt that was recovered by a teammate and returned 13 yards for a touchdown.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Peters attended North Central Missouri College during the 2006 fall semester but did not play football.
He graduated from Trenton High School in 2005 with a 4.1 grade-point-average. He ranked 11th in a class of 86 students. On the field he was selected all-district three times as a quarterback and defensive back. In 2004 and 2005 Peters earned first team all-state recognition as a defensive back.
As a senior he passed for 1,194 yards, rushed for 1,042 yards and averaged 224 yards of total offense per game while helping his team to an 8-2 record.
Peters also lettered four times as a member of Trenton's track team and earned all-state honors in the triple jump twice. He lettered three times as a member of the Bulldogs' basketball team, leading the squad in rebounding and steals as a junior.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Yantko spent the 2006 fall semester at Iowa Central Community College after leaving the Tennessee-Martin program. Yantko did not play football in the fall.
As a senior at Fairborn High School, Yantko passed for more than 2,500 yards. As a junior he threw for 1,183 yards and 10 touchdown passes.
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