 |
Boston College |
Miami |
|
|
|
|
  |
ACC in the NFL Draft: Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson, Clemson's Gaines Adams Headline League's Selections
April 28-29, 2007 Greensboro, NC--With Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson and Clemson's Gaines Adams leading the way, the Atlantic Coast Conference made its second consecutive strong showing in the annual National Football League Draft. Coming on the heels of last year's record setting draft, the ACC saw six of its players taken in the first round and 31 drafted overall. Clemson, Florida State and Miami led the way with five players drafted each followed by NC State and Virginia Tech with three each. Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Maryland each had two players drafted. Over the past two years, the ACC now has had more players selected on the first round (18) and overall in the draft (82) than any other conference in the country. Tech's Johnson, regarded by most draft experts as the best overall player in the draft, became the earliest Georgia Tech player ever chosen in the NFL Draft. Clemson's Adams was the first defensive player chosen in the 2007 NFL Draft in New York City. The Jackets' Johnson was made the second overall pick by the Detroit Lions. Georgia Tech's previous earliest selection occurred some 62 years ago when Eddie Prokop was chosen by the now-defunct New York Yanks as the fourth overall pick in the 1945 NFL Draft. Johnson becomes the sixth ACC player taken with the second overall selection in the draft joining Roman Gabriel (1962, NC State, Los Angeles Rams); Ken Willard (1965, North Carolina, San Francisco); Randy White (1975, Maryland, Dallas); Lawrence Taylor (1981, North Carolina, New York Giants); and Julius Peppers (2002, North Carolina, Carolina Panthers). NC State defensive end Mario Williams was the league's only No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft after being tabbed first overall in 2006 to the Houston Texans.
Also in that time span, Miami, in the year prior to joining the ACC, had the first defender selected when the Washington Redskins took safety Sean Taylor with the fifth overall pick in the 2004 draft. The combination of Johnson and Adams being selected second and fourth gives the ACC two of the top four picks for the second straight year. Last year, Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson was tabbed fourth overall, joining NC State's Williams in the top four. When Miami safety Brandon Meriweather was selected 24th overall in the first round by the New England Patriots, it marked the 13th consecutive year that the Hurricanes have had a player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Meriweather was then joined in the first round by teammates Jon Beeson, who was tabbed 25th by the Carolina Panthers, and tight end Greg Olsen, who was selected 31st by the Chicago Bears. Miami has now had a first-round pick every year since 1995 and has had a first-round selection in 18 of the last 20 years. During that time, Miami has seen 45 of its players become first-round picks and 16 second-round selections. Florida State also continued a first-round draft string when linebacker Lawrence Timmons was chosen as the 15th overall selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Timmons' selection marked the third straight year and the 13th time in 17 year that the Seminoles have had a first-round selection. Florida State has had either a first- or second-round pick in 16 of those 17 years, having "just" a third-round pick in 1996. Since 1988, the Seminoles have had 46 players selected in either the first or second round of the NFL Draft including four first-round picks in 2006 and 1997. Maryland continued a draft streak of its own with cornerback Josh Wilson taken in the second round by the Seattle Seahawks and punter Adam Podlesh being tabbed by the Jacksonville Jaguars early in the fourth round. That made eight years that the Terrapins have had at least two players chosen in the NFL Draft. Podlesh was the highest drafted punter since Dustin Colquitt was taken in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. The four-time All-ACC selection joined Colquitt and B.J. Sander (third round 2005 selection of Green Bay) as the only punters chosen in the first four rounds of the last five NFL Drafts. Virginia Tech was saluted by the NFL after the tragedy on its campus on April 16 by the NFL in a pre-draft ceremony featuring NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer and former Hokie All-Americas and NFL pro bowlers Bruce Smith, DeAngelo Hall and Michael Vick. Additionally, all five of the incoming NFL rookies who attended the draft wore Virginia Tech pins in a sign of support and solidarity for the Blacksburg, Va., school. The first Virginia Tech draftee was strong safety Aaron Rouse, taken by the Green Bay Packers in the third round. He was followed by wide receiver David Clowney in the fifth round (also to Green Bay) and offensive tackle Brandon Frye, also on the fifth round but to Houston. For the Hokies it marked the fourth straight year with at least a third-round choice in the draft. Only three schools have had a top 15 NFL draft choice each of the last two years and two of the three are ACC schools. Clemson, Florida State and Ohio State are the only schools in the nation with a top 15 pick each of the last two years. When it comes to a first-round pick each of the last two years, there are 10 different schools and three are ACC teams: Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami (FL), Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas. Other streaks continued among ACC schools included three consecutive years for Georgia Tech with at least a third round pick in the draft and NC State, which has had at least one player chosen in the last 11 NFL Drafts.
First Round (6 picks) 2. Calvin Johnson (WR) of Georgia Tech to Detroit
Second Round (1 pick) 23. (55th) Josh Wilson (CB) of Maryland to Seattle
Third Round (7 picks) 3. (67th) James Marten (OT) of Boston College to Dallas
Fourth Round (8 picks) 2. (101) Adam Podlesh (P) of Maryland to Jacksonville
Fifth Round (5 picks) 2. (139) Dustin Fry (C) of Clemson to St. Louis
Seventh Round (4 picks) 22. (232) Steve Vallos (OT) of Wake Forest to Seattle
|
|
 |
||||||
|
 |
||||||
 |
ACC RELEASE | 2009 ACC PROSPECTUS | 2008 ACC MEDIA GUIDE | FOOTBALL OFFICIATING | STANDINGS | STATS | SCHEDULE | NEWS | ARCHIVES |
|
|
 |
 |
When Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams became the first defensive player chosen in this year's NFL Draft Saturday, he continued what is becoming an ACC tradition. For the second consecutive year, the first defender chosen in the draft was from an ACC school. It also marks the third time in six years the conference has had the first defensive player taken from its ranks as North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers was the second overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft.