FAMU linebacker/defensive end Joshua Newkirk has been declared eligible to play for the Rattlers. The FAMU compliance department received the clearance and he has traveled with the team in anticipation of it.Newkirk, (6'2" - 240 lbs.), finished last season with Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) as the team's third leading tackler as just a sophomore. His stats were 54 tackles (39 solos, 15 assists), 5.5 tackles for a loss of 21 yards, one quarterback hurry and one sack. He also recorded one interception and returned it 61 yards.
Newkirk was a four-year letterman at Wallace Rose High School in Wallace, NC.