Blaze assigned Tony Tatum

Thursday May 30, 2013

 Division III All-American Agrees to deal with Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Blaze have been assigned rookie defensive back Tony Tatum, the franchise announced today. Tatum arrives in Utah following a standout two-sport career at Gallaudet University, the world leader in liberal education and career development for deaf and hard of hearing students.

“Tony has a lot of natural talent, but he’s also a smart player,” said Head Coach Ron James. “We brought him in for a workout and he picked up our system very quickly. I think Tony can play a few different positions on our defense and I’m excited to have him on board.”

Tatum (6-2, 205, Gallaudet) earned All-Eastern Collegiate Conference accolades in each of his three seasons on the gridiron, where he played in 27 games for Gallaudet and totaled 69 tackles with four tackles for loss, 13 pass breakups, 12 interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

As a senior in 2012, Tatum earned All-American honors after returning six interceptions for 127 yards and one touchdown while adding 29 tackles with one stop for loss, three pass breakups and one forced fumble. An all-purpose threat, Tatum also posted 333 yards with two touchdowns on 22 punt returns and caught two passes for 13 yards and another score. At season’s end, he was honored as the ECFC Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Year.

Also a star on Gallaudet’s basketball team, Tatum scored 1,237 points over his four seasons on the court. He started all 24 games in his senior campaign and led the Bisons with 136 rebounds and 42 steals while averaging 11.3 points per game.

ABOUT THE BLAZE
The Utah Blaze travel to take on the San Antonio Talons on Monday, June 3rd. Listen to the game LIVE exclusively on The Zone 97.5 FM as Scott Garrard provides play-by-play coverage! Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/utahblaze), Twitter (@UTBLAZE) and Instagram (@UtahBlaze), or head to UTBlaze.com for all the latest news!