The New York Jets today signed rookie free agents WR Phil Silva and RB Nick Hartigan. The team also waived rookie RB DonTrell Moore. The announcements were made by Jets' General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.
Silva, 6-3, 220 pounds, was a four-year letterman for the Rowan University Profs, one of the top NCAA Division III programs in the nation. As a senior he was named the NJAC Offensive Player of the Year after recording 46 receptions for 587 yards and seven touchdowns. Silva, a product of Vineland, NJ, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and moved with his family to the United States at the age of ten.
Hartigan, 6-2, 220 pounds, was the leading rusher in 2005 on the Division I-AA level and led Brown to the Ivy League title. He was also a Rhodes Scholar finalist. Though he came up just short of earning a Rhodes Scholarship, he led Brown to its first outright Ivy League title in a 52-21 rout of Columbia by rushing for 229 yards and three touchdowns in the Ivy League Championship game. Hartigan holds Ivy League records for career touchdowns (54), career rushing touchdowns (52), and career points (324). He finished his Brown career as the school's all-time rushing leader with 4,492 yards. A native of Fairfax Station, VA, Hartigan is graduate of W.T. Woodson High School where he lettered in both basketball and football.
Moore, 5-10, 208, owns University of New Mexico and Mountain West Conference records with 4,973 yards rushing, ranking 13th in NCAA Division 1-A history. He became only the sixth Division 1-A runner to gain over 1,000 yards rushing in each of his four seasons, joining Tony Dorsett of Pittsburgh (1973-76), Amos Lawrence of North Carolina (1977-80), Denvis Manns of New Mexico State (1995-98), Ron Dayne of Wisconsin (1996-99) and Cedric Benson of Texas (2001-04). He was signed as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2006.
