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CU report: WR Celestine leaving Buffs

By B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 23, 2008 at 5:15 p.m.

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Should the CU-CSU football series return to Denver?


Numbers game

500 games, counting Saturday's against CU, coached by Florida State's Bobby Bowden, who has been at the school since 1976.

He said it

"Hopefully, we can wreck the party for him."

Cody Hawkins, CU quarterback, on Florida State coach Bobby Bowden's possible celebration Saturday.

Kendrick Celestine, a sophomore, declined interview requests Tuesday.

Photo by David Zalubowski / Associated Press/2007

Kendrick Celestine, a sophomore, declined interview requests Tuesday.

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Promising sophomore receiver Kendrick Celestine told University of Colorado coaches on Sunday he was leaving the team.

A three-sentence announcement in CU's weekly football release said Celestine, of Mamou, La., was leaving for personal reasons. Saying he was headed for a study session, Celestine declined interview requests Tuesday.

Position coach Eric Kiesau said Celestine's decision was based on "personal issues back home" instead of displeasure with playing time or how he was being utilized.

"It's very unfortunate. We just wish him the best, really," Kiesau said, adding he believed Celestine, one of the Buffaloes' fastest receivers, was leaving school. "That's more of a day-to-day thing. We'll know more as his situation develops."

Celestine, who did not play in last week's 17-14 overtime win against then-No. 21 West Virginia, had five receptions for 46 yards in CU's first two games. His career totals: 16 catches, 197 yards; six carries, 27 yards.

Kiesau said freshman receiver Chance Blackmon, a redshirt candidate, will travel with the team for the Florida State game in Jacksonville, Fla. (1:30 p.m. MDT Saturday, KMGH-Channel 7).

"Hopefully, he won't have to (play)," Kiesau said. "But he's going to travel, prepare and take the tests like he would. If something tragic were to happen, he might be forced into action."

Kiesau said receiver/return specialist Jason Espinoza (broken collarbone) is about "a week and a half away" from returning.

Thursday night review

BOULDER - In an open letter to members of the CU community, athletic director Mike Bohn expressed his gratitude for "your hard work, flexibility and sacrifices" during last week's game. Bohn acknowledged how disruptive the game could have been on a number of campus fronts but said overall he believed it was a positive experience for the university.

The game was nationally televised by ESPN and discussions are expected with the network and respective schools to air two CU nonconference road games next season (Miami of Ohio and West Virginia) in possible weeknight games.

Florida payday

CU will be paid $600,000 for the game, Bohn said - $200,000 more than the Seminoles earned for last year's trip to Boulder.