TOWSON, Md. - Although nobody knew it at the time, Randy Edsall helped the Tigers win the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association championship when he left the University of Connecticut to accept the head coaching job at the University of Maryland in January, 2011.

Partly due to his departure from the University of Connecticut, a pair of former Baltimore area standouts, Leon Kinnard and Gerrard Sheppard, transferred to Towson from UConn.

Both of them played significant roles in the Tigers' rise to the top of the Colonial Athletic Association.

A graduate of Loyola Blakefield High School, the versatile Kinnard became one of the Tigers' top pass receivers. He caught 36 passes for 402 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for 41 yards on seven carries and became an explosive return specialist for the Tigers.

A graduate of McDonogh School, Sheppard was the Tigers' third-leading receiver last season. He caught 22 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Tigers an explosive receiver. Sheppard caught a 52-yard touchdown pass in the FCS playoff game against Lehigh.

As the Tigers prepare to compete for their second straight CAA championship, Kinnard and Sheppard will play key roles.