--- Former Tusculum All-American receiver Deonte Gist has signed a free agent contract to play for the Richmond Raiders of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL).

Gist, a product of Wellford, S.C., starred on the Tusculum gridiron from 2008-2011 where he garnered numerous individual honors and peppered his name throughout the TC record book. He becomes the 26th player in program history to ink a professional football contract.

In 2011, he garnered All-America honors from three organizations, including D2football.com, Daktronics and Beyond Sports Network, both as a receiver and a return specialist.

During his senior campaign he shined on Tusculum's special teams, where he led the South Atlantic Conference in kickoff return average at 29.43 yards per return, which was eighth-best in the country (NCAA Division II). Of his 21 returns, two were for touchdowns, including a 94-yarder against Brevard and a 92-yarder at Newberry, giving him a school-record four career kickoff returns for touchdown.

Gist led the SAC in receptions for a second straight year in 2011, averaging 8.1 catches per contest, which was second in the nation (NCAA II).

The two-time All-America receiver (2010 &2011) capped his outstanding career with 81 receptions for 900 yards and four touchdowns. His 81 catches in 2011 are tied for the fifth most in school history.

Gist is currently Tusculum's all-time leader in all-purpose yards (4,374) and kickoff return yards (1,593). His 2,540 career receiving yards are second in TC history, while his 12 career games with 100 receiving yards are a Tusculum-best. He also posted 20 outings with 100 all-purpose yards, including eight straight games in 2011.

Gist and former TC teammate Rashaad Carter established a NCAA II record for the most career receptions by two players from the same team. Carter (210) and Gist (207) combined for 417 catches between them from 2008-2011. The TC duo was the top two receivers for a Tusculum offense that averaged 311 passing yards per game (7th in NCAA II) in 2011.

Richmond opens its regular season March 30 on the road at the Trenton Freedom. The Raiders play their home games at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Va.

The PIFL consists of eight professional franchises including: Alabama Hammers in Huntsville, Ala.; Albany Panthers; Columbus Lions in Columbus, Ga.; Nashville Venom in Nashville, Tenn.; Harrisburg Stampede in Harrisburg, Pa., Lehigh Valley Steelhawks in Bethlehem, Pa., Richmond Spiders in Richmond, Va.; Trenton Freedom in Langhorne, Pa.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference. Tusculum, the oldest college in the State of Tennessee, sponsors 15 intercollegiate sports, including men's lacrosse, which will be competing in its first season during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Tusculum, the 28th oldest college in the nation, is a liberal arts institution committed to providing a liberal arts education in a Judeo-Christian and civic arts environment, with pathways for career preparation, personal development and civic engagement. Approximately twenty-one hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and three off-site locations in East Tennessee. The academic programs for both traditional-aged students and working adults served through the Graduate and Professional Studies program are delivered using focused calendars whereby students enroll in one course at a time.