Following the conclusion of the 2019 NFL draft, seven Stony Brook Football players took one step closer to achieving their dreams of playing in the NFL by accepting rookie minicamp invites.
The four players, wide receivers Julius Wingate and Marshall Ellick, full back Cal Daniels and running back Donald Liotine, graduate Stony Brook having left their mark on the team.
Wingate, from Englewood, New Jersey, came to Stony Brook in 2014 as a three-star national recruit. His best and final season came in 2018, with the Seawolves, in 12 games Wingate caught a career-high 40 passes to go along with six touchdowns and 556 yards receiving. Following the draft, Wingate tweeted that he had accepted an offer from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ellick came into Stony Brook in 2018 as a graduate transfer from Temple University. In his lone season with the Seawolves, Ellick had three touchdown receptions to go along with 24 receptions and 325 receiving yards. His agent, Logan Brown Sports, tweeted a congratulatory message and announced Ellick accepted an offer from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Liotine spent a total of six years with the Seawolves due to missing his first two seasons with injuries, he leaves behind a storied career. Liotine had the seventh most rushing yards in a single season in Stony Brook history with his 1,148 yards and became the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2014. Liotine finishes his Stony Brook career ranked fourth in career rushing yards (2,826), third in career carries (583), fourth in rushing touchdowns (23) and fourth in all-purpose yards (4,077). Liotine also earned first team All-CAA Football and was selected to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team in his senior year. He accepted offers from both the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins.
Daniels is looking to make it six years in a row that he is on a football roster with Donald Liotine after he also accepted an offer from the Washington Redskins. Daniels leaves the Seawolves as a two-time first team All-CAA Football member as well as a first team and third team STATS FCS All-American member.
Throughout the 2018 season Jordan Gowins and Donald Liotine were considered Running Backs 1a and 1b. Gowins had four 100-plus yard rushing games and teamed with Liotine to tie the school record for most (4) 100-yard games by a duo. The school record along with eight rushing touchdowns and 995 rushing yards made 2018 the best season of Gowins time with the Seawolves. Gowins earned CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 22 as well as finishing the season as a member of the second team All-CAA football. Gowins now heads to the New York Giants in an attempt to crack the roster.
Shayne Lawless earned numerous awards during his time as a Seawolf. Two-time second team All-CAA football, first team All-CAA and FCS ADA Academic All-Star team, just to name a few. The captain leaves Stony Brook with 161 solo tackles, including 40 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, four interceptions and five fumble recoveries. Per Assistant Athletic Director Patrick Hatch, Lawless will be headed to the Chicago Bears.
Jonathan Haynes came to Stony Brook in 2016 following two years as a member of the West Virginia Mountaineers. The 6-5 offensive lineman started all 12 games his senior year, bringing his total appearances for the Seawolves up to 33. Per Assistant Athletic Director Hatch, Haynes now is now headed to the Buffalo Bills.
Wingate, Ellick, Liotine, Gowins, Lawless, Haynes and Daniels look to join the recently signed Chris Cooper in the NFL next season. In doing so they would be following in the footsteps of Stony Brook Alumni Will Tye, Victor Ochi and Timon Parris.
