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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Jordan Topp
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Home Phone: 858-382-4288 Transferred from San Diego Mesa College in California in Jan. 2009. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Football: JUCO guys ready to go Three signees on Cajuns’ campus now Joshua Parrott � jparrott@theadvertiser.com � February 8, 2009 As UL football approaches the start of spring drills on March 11, three junior college signees from the program’s 2009 recruiting class of 18 are ready to start competing for playing time next season. Two of those three players – Vernon Wolfe (Hinds Community College in Mississippi) and Andrew “Rico” Joseph (Coffeyville Community College in Kansas) – will fight for time at wide receiver. The other recruit is defensive lineman Jordan Topp, who previously played at San Diego Mesa College in California. Wolfe and Topp have two years of eligibility left, while Joseph has three remaining. UL coach Rickey Bustle would like to see immediate results, which could happen as the trio has gotten an early jump on learning new plays, terminologies and formations. All three players, who enrolled at UL in January, play positions that require an immediate boost in 2009. “That’s what you expect when you sign mid-semester junior college kids,” Bustle said. “You expect them to come in and compete and be playing for you in the fall.” Wolfe and Joseph will provide some experience for a young receiving core that is now without seniors Jason Chery and Derrick Smith. Out of Vicksburg High in Mississippi, Wolfe was an academic qualifier but went to Hinds so he could play both baseball and football. He showed promise as a freshman with 24 catches for 268 yards and two scores. As a sophomore Wolfe was ready to blossom, but he got involved in an on-the-field incident while trying to help a teammate in the season opener and got ejected from the game. That came with an automatic two-game suspension. Then a Hinds coach reportedly did not file the necessary paperwork in time, which resulted in Wolfe missing another two games due to league rules. Wolfe refused to let that situation dictate his future. Instead, he learned from the experience and has moved on. “I almost let that get me down,” Wolfe said. “All that gave me a reason to work harder and helped me grow up a lot quicker.” Wolfe made great use of his limited time on the field last season with 33 receptions for 392 yards and two touchdowns in five games. He led the MACJCAA in catches per game (6.6) and was second in receiving yards per game (79) to garner second team all-league honors in the South Division and an invite to the conference’s annual all-star game. One of his best performances came in a 21-9 loss to Southwest Mississippi Community College on Oct. 4. Wolfe finished that night with 10 catches for 131 yards. While he’s listed at 6-feet tall, Wolfe appears to be a few inches taller. That makes him an even more intriguing prospect given he said he’s capable of touching 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash and got interest from Mississippi State and Southern Miss. “He’s got a little more size than some of the receivers we already had,” Bustle said of Wolfe, who also held offers from Arkansas State and ULM. “He’s a guy with great speed.” Joseph is another burner with reported 4.4 speed. The Florida native earned first team all-state honors as a senior at Class 1A Glades Day School, leading the team to the state title with 35 catches for 776 yards and 10 touchdowns. He received some interest from several ACC programs but went to Coffeyville after being unable to get a qualifying ACT score. After redshirting as a freshman, Joseph emerged as one of the top receivers and kick returners this season in the competitive Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. He earned second team all-league honors and was voted the team’s most valuable player after catching 35 passes for 597 yards and four touchdowns and averaging 18.8 yards per catch. That production helped him finish second in the conference in receiving yards and yards per catch and third in receiving yards per game (66.3). In seven league games, he topped the conference in total receiving yards (490) and receiving yards per game (70). Listed at 5-10, Joseph is probably a little shorter than that. But his route running and elusiveness also garnered offers from Hofstra and Charleston Southern. “He’s another talented athlete that has great speed,” Bustle said. “We will be counting on him next fall.” While it’s tough still being away from Florida, Joseph is comforted by having nearly 20 teammates from his home state. “All Florida people always stick together,” Joseph said. “So being here has been perfect for me.” An even greater distance separates Topp from his hometown of San Diego, but he’s hoping to provide a boost to a UL defense that struggled to slow opponents in last season’s 6-6 campaign. Topp was another qualifier out of high school. He was named the North team’s MVP in the Alex Spanos All-Star Classic but went to San Diego Mesa because he eventually wanted offers from bigger D-I programs. After redshirting as a freshman, he got second team all-Mountain Conference honors the following year with 48 tackles and seven sacks. Oregon State, Arizona State and Utah, among others, showed him strong interest. Issues with the NCAA Clearinghouse kept Topp from signing with a Division I program mid-term as a redshirt freshman, so the 6-3, 280-pounder returned to San Diego Mesa for another year. The interest from Pac-10 schools dried up because they wanted him for three years, but Topp posted another productive season in 2008 with 47 tackles, 5.5 sacks and four pass break-ups. He eventually found a home in Louisiana. Bustle expects Topp, who reportedly has 4.85 speed, to compete for playing time at defensive tackle and end in the spring. Topp knows the benefits that come with already being on campus. “It’s a huge advantage,” Topp said. “I’ve already gotten to know the team, the formations and the blitzes. “Anything I can learn while I’m here (in the spring) makes it even better that I’m already here.”
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