Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / May 27, 1993, edition 2 / Page 12
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NFL DRAFT REPORT Black-College Players Not Drafted By G.D. CLAY After having 30 players selected in the 1992 draft, 1993 collapsed like a roof cave -inoiLpredOfri i nant Ly black colleges ? Get this: Only nine players were selected. That's right ? nine. Yes, Jack son State tackle-guard Lester Holmes and Texas Southern defensive end Michael Strahan was selected by the New York Giants in the second round. But that 9 fig ure is 2 1 fewer than the year before. So, if you are not drafted, then what do you do? Pick a team, any team, and try to ogn as a free agent. But there's a hitch. "The black college players can't pick and choose as much because so many things come into play," said agent Brian Ransom, who represents running back Robert Staten of Jackson State and safety Jimmy Bethea of Tennessee State, neither of whom were drafted. "You may have an aycnt who is related to team members, like Buddy Ryan, the co^ch with the Houston Oilers. His son is an agent." See a connection brewing? ^ agent with those bloodlines can get his guy in a training camp much easier. As for the other guys drafted, well, they should feel fortunate, to say the least. The other seven are: Kevin Johnson, nose tackle, Texas Southern, selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round; Terrance Warren, wide receiver, Hampton Universi ty, taken by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round; Herman Arvie, tackle, Gram bling, selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round; Tim Watson, defensive Packers in the sixth^round; Antonious Kimbrough, wide receiver, Jackson State, selected by the Denver Broncos in the sev enth round, and Stevie Anderson, wide receiver, Grambling State, selected by the Phoenix Cardinals in the eighth round. One of the reasons only nine players were selected may be attributed to the reduction in number of rounds. Last year, there were 12; this year, there were eight. N xt year, there will be only seven. Because of the fewer rounds, "Now, they're looking at players a lot closer," Texas Southern's Strahan said. "They cannot afford to take a gamble like they used to. "Black college players must elevate rnselves to be drafted in rounds nine ? 12, the rounds that don't exist any >re. For the guys who thought they jld be drafted but weren't, now it's . i to start dialing for dollars. "I've called all the teams for these s," Ransom says, "and they say they're i Then, what do you do? "All you can do is just keep calling," ays. Added agent Peter Schaffer, who rep resents Grambling State's Herman Arvie, "other smaller schools, not just the pre dominantly black schools, are being hurt. ? "Less players-are bemg drafteti, ami people are getting less exposure. Players nowadays are setting up their own work out schedules. That's hurting the smaller schools, too. Now, if I'm a scout, if I do Alabama one day, I may have to fly to , UCLA the next day because a player who is a major talent set up his own schedule. I can't do Alabama, and Alabama State the next day.'* Jackson State's Holmes and Texas Southern's Strahan said after a May mini camp, " I loved it (coming to New Yorkl. I had a good time. I liked the area up there, Um looking forward to playing c with the Giants." As for Texas Southern's Johnson, a 6 0 1/4, 306-pounder, Patriots director of player personnel Charlie Armey, said, "We really like this young man. He looked good in minicamp. He did a very good job on the athletic skills test. He did impress everybody. The things that were there when we drafted him were all in place. Now he has to come back in June and get ready to play. We already have a good nose tackle in Tim Goad, but John son will certainly play." As for Grambling's Arvie,*-6-4 320 pounder, Dino Lucarelli, the Browns' director of player relations, said: "The offensive line has been under scrutiny the last couple of years. They've been trying to give Bernie Kosar protection. This year, they made a more concentrated effort patch up some holes. "He has the ability to knock people off the ball. Ha has light feet, as they say. Apparently, he's very durable, since he started all 12 games for Grambling last year." Other players who should have had a legitimate shot at being drafted, but weren't include: Steve Brannon, a 6-3, 265-pound defensive end from Hampton; Henderson Mosley, a 6-1, 230-pound James Johnson, a 5-11 1/2, 212-pound running back from Jackson State; Everette Mclver, a 6-5 1/4, 345-pound defensive tackle from Elizabeth City State; Chuck Duffey, a 5-10 1/4, 191-pound running back from Florida A&M; Charles Thomp son, a 5-9 1/2, 176-pound running back from Central State; Fernando Evans, a 6- 1 1/2, 182-pound wide receiver from Alcom State; Horace Brooks, a 5-9 1/2, 170 pound wide receiver from Alabama State; Wally Williams, a 6-0 1/2, 303-pound center from Florida A & M; Collin God frey, a 5-10, 165-pound punter from Ten nessee State. Other players who weren't drafted Stevie Anderson , G rambling include: David Carpenter, a 6-2, 285 pound defensive tackle from Mississippi Valley State; Kerry Henderson, a 5-7, 172-pound running back from Texas Southern; Charles Fleeks, a 5-11 1/2, 195 pound running back from Hampton; Dex ter Butcher, a 5-10, 175-pound running back from Grambling; Deal Noel, a 5-9 1/2,1 185-pound running back from Delaware State; Greg Clifton, a 5-10 1/2, 175-pound running back from Johnson C. Smith; Joseph Washington, a 6-2 1/4, 199 pound running back from Tuskegee; Rod ney Hounshell, a 6-2, 186-pound running back from Virginia Union; Tyrone Davis, a 5-8, 160-pound running back from Flori da A & M; Reginald Gilliard, a 5-1 1, 185 pound running back from Prairie View A & M; Earnest Greene, a 6-6, 315-pound r tackle from Savannah State; Orlando Brown, a 6-6 1/2, 355-pound tackle from r Herman Arvie, Grumbling South Carolina State; Reginald Davidson, a. 6-2, 310-pound guard from Jackson State; Robert Moorman, a 6-4, 296-pound guard from Tennessee State. Others are: Eddie Smith, a 6-0 1/2, 345-pound defensive tackle from Texas Southern; Ronald Perry, a 6-2, 233-pound linebacker from Grambling; Darius Hadley, a 6-0 1/2, 188-pound cornerback from South Carolina State; Donnie Ellis, a 5-10 1/4, 164-pound cornerback from Texas Southern; Darren Butler, a 5-10 1/2, 185-pound cornerback from Alcom-State: Vernon Grier, a 5-11 1/2, 187-pound cor nerback from South Carolina State; William Carroll, a 6-0, 200-pound safety from Florida A & M; Tommy Milton, a 5 1 1 , 200 pound safety from Alcorn State; Alonza Barnett, a 6-2, 199-pound safety from North Carolina A & T; and Edward Buck, a 5-11 1/2, 180-pound safety from U.S. Savings Bonds ton education GROW ALMOST AS FAST AS KIDS DO. Buy U.S. Savings Bonds ? for half their face value ? where you work or bank. If you keep them five years or more, you'll earn competitive, market-based rates or a guaranteed minimum rate, whichever is higher. For current rate information, call .1-800-4US BOND ? 1-800-487-2663 sto!*ofeL7' \SAyjNGs m inAmerlc^^4 Vj. BONDS ^ A puMic sctvkc of tfm newspaper
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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May 27, 1993, edition 2
12
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