Post by griz on May 4, 2011 10:35:18 GMT -5
www.bigskyconf.com/news/2011/4/30/FB_0430115508.aspx
Four Former Sky Players Drafted
Four former Big Sky Conference football players were selected Saturday during the final day of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Taiwan Jones of Eastern Washington was tabbed in the fourth round with the 125th overall pick by the Oakland Raiders.
Four picks later, the Denver Broncos selected Portland State tight end Julius Thomas.
In the seventh round, Montana defensive back Jimmy Wilson was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 235th overall pick.
Montana State offensive tackle Mike Person was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round with the 239th overall selection.
The four draft picks was the most for the Big Sky since 2003, when five players were selected.
Jones, a 5-foot-11, 195-pounder from Antioch, Calif., decided to forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the draft after helping the Eagles to the 2010 Division I National Championship. The Co-Big Sky MVP finished second in the nation in rushing yards (1,742) and averaged 7.9 yards per carry with 14 touchdowns. Jones was excited to hear his name called by Oakland, as he grew up in the Bay Area.
"This is a home team for me,'' Jones said. "I’ve been in the backyard for a while so it’s good to be a Raider."
First-year Oakland coach Hue Jackson praised Jones' ability.
"He can make plays,'' Jackson said. "The guy can score from anywhere on the field. He can catch it, he can run with it, he can play on special teams. And I said this in my pre-draft presser when we talked about adding explosive players to our team. This is another athlete that has unquestionable ability to put the ball in the end zone. And now he’s a Raider. So there’s no question why he’s here. We know what he’s capable of doing and we’re looking forward to him doing that."
Jones is the first EWU player to get drafted since offensive tackle Michael Roos was tabbed in the second round of the 2005 draft by Tennessee.
Thomas, a 6-5, 246-pounder from Stockton, Calif., made his mark in his one season with the Viking football team, catching 29 passes for 453 yards and two touchdown en route to earning First Team All-Conference honors. Thomas played four seasons for the Vikings men's basketball team, helping them to back-to-back Big Sky Championships in 2008 and 2009. Thomas said he was hoping for the Broncos to take him.
“I was hoping; you're never sure who's going to take you,'' he said. "You try not to get your hopes up too much, but when people ask what team I hoped to play for, it was definitely the Broncos, and I had my fingers crossed, and I was praying I would be a Denver Bronco next year. I'm excited. This is all I asked for."
Wilson, a 5-11, 185-pounder from San Diego, returned to Montana in 2010 for his senior campaign and tallied 50 tackles. Wilson was an All-Conference cornerback for the Grizzlies in 2006. He spent nearly 25 months in a Los Angeles jail before being aquitted of murder chargers in 2009.
“It means the world to me,'' Wilson said of being drafted. "It is something I have always wanted ever since I was a child. I feel like my opportunity is here and I want to take full advantage of it.”
Person, a 6-5, 295-pounder from Glendive, Mont., was a two-time All-Conference First-Teamer and an All-American in 2010. Person is the first Bobcat since cornerback Joey Thomas in 2003 to get drafted. Person is expected to play guard in the NFL.
“It means a lot,'' Person said of getting drafted "It’s a proud fan base and I just don’t want to let those guys down. It means a lot for my family and everybody involved.”
Four Former Sky Players Drafted
Four former Big Sky Conference football players were selected Saturday during the final day of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Taiwan Jones of Eastern Washington was tabbed in the fourth round with the 125th overall pick by the Oakland Raiders.
Four picks later, the Denver Broncos selected Portland State tight end Julius Thomas.
In the seventh round, Montana defensive back Jimmy Wilson was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 235th overall pick.
Montana State offensive tackle Mike Person was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round with the 239th overall selection.
The four draft picks was the most for the Big Sky since 2003, when five players were selected.
Jones, a 5-foot-11, 195-pounder from Antioch, Calif., decided to forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the draft after helping the Eagles to the 2010 Division I National Championship. The Co-Big Sky MVP finished second in the nation in rushing yards (1,742) and averaged 7.9 yards per carry with 14 touchdowns. Jones was excited to hear his name called by Oakland, as he grew up in the Bay Area.
"This is a home team for me,'' Jones said. "I’ve been in the backyard for a while so it’s good to be a Raider."
First-year Oakland coach Hue Jackson praised Jones' ability.
"He can make plays,'' Jackson said. "The guy can score from anywhere on the field. He can catch it, he can run with it, he can play on special teams. And I said this in my pre-draft presser when we talked about adding explosive players to our team. This is another athlete that has unquestionable ability to put the ball in the end zone. And now he’s a Raider. So there’s no question why he’s here. We know what he’s capable of doing and we’re looking forward to him doing that."
Jones is the first EWU player to get drafted since offensive tackle Michael Roos was tabbed in the second round of the 2005 draft by Tennessee.
Thomas, a 6-5, 246-pounder from Stockton, Calif., made his mark in his one season with the Viking football team, catching 29 passes for 453 yards and two touchdown en route to earning First Team All-Conference honors. Thomas played four seasons for the Vikings men's basketball team, helping them to back-to-back Big Sky Championships in 2008 and 2009. Thomas said he was hoping for the Broncos to take him.
“I was hoping; you're never sure who's going to take you,'' he said. "You try not to get your hopes up too much, but when people ask what team I hoped to play for, it was definitely the Broncos, and I had my fingers crossed, and I was praying I would be a Denver Bronco next year. I'm excited. This is all I asked for."
Wilson, a 5-11, 185-pounder from San Diego, returned to Montana in 2010 for his senior campaign and tallied 50 tackles. Wilson was an All-Conference cornerback for the Grizzlies in 2006. He spent nearly 25 months in a Los Angeles jail before being aquitted of murder chargers in 2009.
“It means the world to me,'' Wilson said of being drafted. "It is something I have always wanted ever since I was a child. I feel like my opportunity is here and I want to take full advantage of it.”
Person, a 6-5, 295-pounder from Glendive, Mont., was a two-time All-Conference First-Teamer and an All-American in 2010. Person is the first Bobcat since cornerback Joey Thomas in 2003 to get drafted. Person is expected to play guard in the NFL.
“It means a lot,'' Person said of getting drafted "It’s a proud fan base and I just don’t want to let those guys down. It means a lot for my family and everybody involved.”