From the Virginia perspective, the second day of the NFL draft was led by King George resident Jermon Bushrod. Who?
As a left offensive tackle who played out of state at a Division I-AA school, Bushrod was easy to miss, though he is 6-4 and 315 pounds. Bushrod, who went to the New Orleans Saints in yesterday's fourth round (125th pick overall), was a four-year starter at Towson, which is located outside of Baltimore.
The King George High graduate was named third team all-Atlantic 10 Football Conference in 2004 and 2005, and was a first-team choice last season. Bushrod said yesterday that a few state schools contacted him during his recruitment at King George, but none maintained strong interest.
"My final three were Towson, Richmond and Middle Tennessee. Richmond and Middle Tennessee just kind of stopped calling," Bushrod said. "Towson seemed like a great fit. I really enjoyed my visit up there. I liked the players. I went there and loved every minute of it."
King George is a Group AA school of about 1,000 students, and the Foxes do not have a winning football tradition, reasons Bushrod may have failed to grab the attention of more recruiters. Bushrod helped Towson go 7-4 in 2006. The Tigers finished third in the South Division of the A-10, whose football component has been absorbed by the Colonial Athletic Association.
Though former Division I-AA players dot NFL rosters, most of them are not linemen. Bushrod impressed NFL scouts with his size, durability (37 straight starts) and overall athletic ability. At King George High, Bushrod played basketball and baseball in addition to football. In baseball, Bushrod said "I played every position but shortstop."
He was not invited to the NFL combine, which attempts to include virtually all players who are projected as draft choices. But Bushrod evidently wowed the 20 or so scouts who came to Towson last month to witness a personal workout. He also scored high on the character scale.
Bushrod, a sports-management major, carries a 3.0 grade-point average and worked as a substitute teacher at an elementary school during breaks from Towson.
Virginia Tech wide receiver David Clowney went to the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round. Saturday, Green Bay chose Tech safety Aaron Rouse in the third round. Clowney, a resident of Delray Beach, Fla., is known primarily for his speed. At the NFL combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds. There are questions, however, about the 6-0 184-pounder's ability to operate vs. defensive resistance.
Tech offensive tackle Brandon Frye, a 6-4 302-pounder, went to the Houston Texans later in the fifth round. In the seventh round, University of Virginia players Jason Snelling (L.C. Bird High) and Marcus Hamilton were selected with consecutive picks. Snelling, a running back, went to Atlanta. Hamilton, a cornerback from Centreville, was chosen by Tampa Bay.
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