A quick-rising and talented athlete who has earned back-to-back starting roles at two different positions as a redshirt freshman and sophomore ... Was officially moved to the secondary (free safety) prior to the start of spring drills in 2007 after playing at the outside linebacker slot a year earlier ... Responded to move by topping entire squad with 104 tackles ... Coaching staff expects a battle with J.J. Milbrook for top honors at the free safety spot during preseason camp or flexibility will enable move to strong safety ... A punishing hitter who ranks among the strongest members of the defensive unit ... Opened spring scrimmage play with eight stops (3/28) before adding six and a pass breakup a week later (4/4) ... Logged two tackles during the weather-shortened Purple-Gold Game (4/12) ... A three-time preseason All-Conference USA selection (first team) by Athlon Sports, Blue Ribbon Yearbook and Lindy's ... Also named to the league's honorable mention squad by Phil Steele Magazine. 2007: Earned All-Conference USA honors (second-team) by league coaches ... Started 12 of 13 games (UCF) ... Led team with 104 total stops (55 solo, 49 assists) ... Ranked 11th in C-USA with 8.0 tackles per game ... Recorded 100th career tackle against Houston ... Established a new career-high with 13 stops at No. 5 West Virginia ... Returned a fumble 50 yards for a TD against UTEP, picking up C-USA Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors ... Recorded at least five tackles in all 13 games played ... Had at least eight stops in nine contests ... Picked off first career pass against UAB, returning it seven yards ... Notched at least a half TFL in seven games ... Recorded 10 or more tackles in back to-back weeks (13/WVU and 10/Houston) ... vs. Va. Tech (9/1): Ranked second on the team with seven total tackles (four solo, three assists) ... Also saw action as a member of the special teams unit ... vs. UNC (9/8): Credited with five total tackles (three solo, two assists) ... vs. USM (9/15): Tied his then career-high with eight total tackles (four solo, four assists) ... Credited with a half TFL (-1 yard) ... vs. WVU (9/22): Led all defensive players with a career-high 13 tackles (seven solo, six assists) ... vs. Houston (9/29): Posted second straight game with at least 10 tackles ... Credited with 10 total stops (four solo, six assists) ... Notched 1.5 TFLs (-1 yard) ... vs. UCF (10/6): Ranked third on the team with eight tackles (five solo, three assists) ... Credited with one TFL (-3 yards) ... vs. UTEP (10/13): Tallied eight total stops (seven solo, assist) ... Returned a Lorne Sam fumble 50-yards for a TD in the first quarter giving ECU an early 10-7 lead ... Also credited with one pass breakup ... vs. N.C. State (10/20): Second on the team with nine stops (five solo, four assists) ... Had a half TFL (-2 yards) ... vs. UAB (10/27): Tallied five total tackles (solo, four assists) ... Picked off first career pass in the first quarter returning it seven yards setting up ECU's first score ... Credited with one TFL (-1 yard) ... vs. Memphis (11/3): Ranked second on the team with seven total stops (four solo, three assists) ... vs. Marshall (11/10): Tallied eight tackles (solo, seven assists) ranking third on the team ... vs. Tulane (11/24): Credited with eight tackles (two solo, six assists), which tied for the team lead ... Had one TFL for (-2 yards) ... Also credited with a pass breakup ... vs. Boise State (12/23): Recorded eight tackles (solo) - the unit's third-highest total ... Credited with one TFL (-8 yards) and one pass breakup. 2006: Earned selection to both Conference USA All-Freshman squads (media, head coaches) and was an honorable mention all-league pick by the coaches ... Played in all 13 games and made six starts at outside linebacker, filling in for the injured Pierre Bell (Navy, UAB) and Quentin Cotton (Southern Miss, UCF, Marshall and USF) ... Posted a season-best eight tackles against USF in the Papajohns.com Bowl, one coming for a one-yard loss ... Stood fifth on the unit tackles with 60 (37 solo) ... Ranked second on the squad with 7.5 tackles for lost yardage (-22) and added three pass breakups, two recovered fumbles and one forced fumble ... Was moved to the linebacker position during preseason camp when Orlando Farrow went down with season-ending injury to provide depth ... vs. Navy (9/2): Recorded four total tackles (three solo) in collegiate debut which also included a start ... Was responsible for Navy's second turnover of the game in the third quarter after breaking up a pitch on the option for his first career forced fumble ... Recovered two fumbles in the third quarter for a total of six yards ... vs. UAB (9/9): Booked a team second-best seven tackles ... Collected first career TFL (-2 yards) ... vs. Memphis (9/16): Credited with two solo tackles in a reserve role ... vs. WVU (9/23): Led all Pirates with five solo tackles as a reserve ... Finished the game with six total stops, one coming for a three-yard loss in the fourth quarter ... vs. UVA (10/7): Came off the bench to post five total tackles (four solo), including his first career sack in the first quarter ... vs. Tulsa (10/14): Made three tackles in a reserve linebacking role ... vs. SMU (10/21): Logged six tackles as a reserve ... Combined with Wendell Chavis on a seven-yard sack of Justin Williams in the fourth quarter ... vs. USM (10/28): Made third start of the season at OLB in place of an injured Quentin Cotton ... Credited with five tackles ... Topped Pirates with two hits for lost yardage ... vs. UCF (11/4): Recorded three solo stops in start ... vs. Marshall (11/11): Posted four tackles and one pass breakup ... vs. Rice (11/18): Made three tackles and was credited with one tackle for a loss ... vs. N.C. State (11/25): Picked up four tackles (three solo), including one behind the line of scrimmage (-2 yards) on a third-and-eight play in the second quarter ... vs. USF (12/23): Co-led all ECU defenders with eight stops (four solo) in the Papajohns.com Bowl ... Also credited with a TFL in first half play. 2005: Redshirted during initial season in Pirate program ... Turned in valuable effort as defensive scout team member, preparing wide receivers on a daily basis for record-breaking campaign ... Officially signed with Skip Holtz' program in February, 2005. High School: A four-year starter at the safety position for the Golden Lions and coach Chris Norman ... Recorded 21 career interceptions ... Also experienced action at halfback and was one of SHS's top kickoff return specialist as a junior and senior ... Credited with 76 total tackles (61 solo), one forced fumble, eight pass breakups and two interceptions as a team captain in 2004 ... Offensively, rushed for 614 yards and nine touchdowns on 74 carries (8.3 ypc) while making 16 receptions for 542 yards (33.9 ypr) and eight scores as a senior ... Accumulated a total of 238 yards after each catch ... Scored 22 TDs (three as a returner) and totaled 428 kickoff return yards on eight attempts - an amazing average of 53.5 yards per bring-back ... Played in just one junior varsity contest as a freshman before promotion to varsity program (80 tackles, nine picks) ... Accounted for three return touchdowns in 2004 ... Logged 90 tackles and picked off six passes as a junior after making 103 stops and netting six more pass thefts as a sophomore ... In all, completed prep career with 23 interceptions ... Earned all-conference and all-county honors at the close of his senior campaign ... Selected to play on the North Carolina Shrine Bowl squad in December, 2004 ... Chosen as Cleveland County's 2004 Player-of-the-Year by the Shelby Star ... Earned two additional letters in basketball and four in track. Personal: Full name is Vantrel B. Eskridge ... Born March 20, 1987 at Shelby, N.C. ... A communications major ... Cites family atmosphere as the best thing about ECU football ... Selects former safety Kyle Chase as favorite all-time Pirate player ... Lists playing basketball, music and watching sports as top hobbies ... Says John Madden is favorite sports announcer ... Credits parents and brothers as most influential people on career ... Choose the NCAA Basketball Tournament as a sports event he'd most like to attend. |
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