NFL awaits seven Tigers
Story by Ryan Gavin
At least seven Mizzou football players will be joining the NFL this fall. During this weekend’s NFL Draft, Tigers procured spots on pro teams across the country.
Receiver Jeremy Maclin and defensive tackle Ziggy Hood went in the first round to Philadelphia at No. 19 and Pittsburgh at No. 32, respectively. Maclin joins an Eagles team that was a win away from the Super Bowl last season, while Hood joins the defending champion Steelers.
Safety William Moore went to Atlanta in the second round. The Falcons lost in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs last year and are expected to contend again this season. Tight end Chase Coffman went to the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round. There he will be in the same division as Mizzou’s former All-American tight end, Martin Rucker (Cleveland Browns).
Lineman Colin Brown was taken with the third pick in the fifth round, going to his childhood favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs. Defensive end Stryker Sulak will be used as a pass rusher with the Oakland Raiders, who took him in the sixth round.
Chase Daniel, who owns nearly every Mizzou quarterbacking record, signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins. Other Tigers are free to sign with any team and could do so within the following weeks or months leading up to or during NFL training camps.
Best of luck to all the Mizzou Alumni as they go on to the next stage. Many of the scouts seemed puzzled with the Eagles taking Maclin; they said he “doesn’t fit.” I hope that he proves everyone wrong and becomes a prolific receiver. He has a good crew around him so the sky is the limit, and the kid has a ton of heart. So just play your heart out, J-MAC, and prove them all wrong because you do deserve to be there. It has been so amazing to watch these guys mature and dominate the way they did the last couple of years! Best of luck to Daniel, too. Remember, man, Kurt Warner beat the odds and is one of the greatest QBs the NFL has ever seen. It can be done. Work hard and focus. The sky is the limit!
Jerad | April27, 2009
Maclin doesn’t fit because the Eagles already have a player just like him in DeSean Jackson. Criticism isn’t aimed so much at Maclin’s abilities as much as it is at the Eagles for drafting a player [like one] they already have.
Mike | April30, 2009
Best of luck to all the Mizzou Alumni.
Nabin | April27, 2009
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