Three D2 football players heard their names called during the third day of the 2016 NFL Draft in Chicago on Saturday. All three were selected in the fifth round by their respective teams. Here's a quick capsule look at the three D2 football draftees.
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Matt Judon, DE, BR-2 Grand Valley State
5th Round (146th overall pick), Baltimore Ravens
Matt Judon’s four years at Grand Valley State paid dividends in so many ways.
The grueling grind that is the GLIAC North, along with the tradition of success in Allandale over the years, could prove to be a huge intangible for Judon as he hopes to become part of another vaunted football tradition: the Baltimore Ravens defense.
“We played 15 [straight] games this year,” said Grand Valley head coach Matt Mitchell. “The only two [FBS] schools which played 15 were Alabama and Clemson. We get a lot of reps; that’s a lot of tape and I think that helps our kids.”
Considered he's joining one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, the transition from the GLIAC North to the AFC North might not be as daunting you’d think.
“He’s a kid that’s born and raised in the state of Michigan and has played in weather that’s a little more formidable in a really tough, blue-collar conference,” Mitchell said. “Those are some of the things you equate Baltimore with.”
Judon, the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year, didn’t just lead D2 football in sacks, he led all of college football with 21 sacks among his 23.5 tackles for loss. It’s not easy to go from the GLIAC to the NFL. Mitchell, however, believes Judon is up to the task.
“It’s a good match there,” Mitchell added. “If there’s going to be a jump [going from D2 to the NFL], he’s going to have to do some adjustments but you hope there are less adjustments going to that type of organization.”
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Tyreek Hill, WR/RS, BR-35 West Alabama
5th Round (165th overall pick), Kansas City Chiefs
Tyreek Hill transferred from Oklahoma State for his senior season, and, the player once described as one of the fastest players in college football is expected to wreak havoc in the NFL after being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I am very proud for Tyreek,” West Alabama head coach Brett Gilliland told HERO Sports. “It is a great accomplishment for him and for the University of West Alabama football program. He has put in a lot of hard work to get to this point.”
During his lone season with the Tigers, Hill *deep breath* rushed for 237 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, caught 27 passes for 444 yards and three touchdowns, returned 20 kickoffs for 465 yards and two touchdowns, and carried 20 punts back for 257 yards and two TDs. Wow.
Hill is the first West Alabama player drafted since 1974 when both Ken Hutcherson (Dallas) and Larry Lightfoot (New York Jets) were selected in that year’s draft. Hill would be the 13th player to make the jump from Livingston, Alabama to the NFL.
“We love when our guys get recognition and opportunities to play at the highest level,” Gilliland said. “I know Tyreek will be making big time plays on Sundays just like other Tigers Malcolm Butler and Seth Roberts have been.”
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Marqui Chrisitan, SS, BR-3 Midwestern State
5th Round (167th overall pick), Arizona Cardinals
Marqui Christian’s selection by the Arizona Cardinals appears to be a perfect match.
“When I went out there to Arizona I just felt like it was the place for me, and now I’m a Cardinal,” Christian told the Arizona Cardinals’ website. “They talked about a hybrid-type guy, a safety playing down in the box. Just using my different talents – blitzing off the edge, man-to-man in the slot, zone and being interchangeable at safety.”
During his senior season at Midwestern State, Christian, the Lone Star Conference’s defensive player of the year, recorded 95 tackles including one sack while recovering three fumbles, returning one for a touchdown against Eastern New Mexico.
“Marqui worked hard to put himself in position to get to where he was picked in the fifth round,” Midwestern State head coach Bill Maskill told HERO Sports. “His work ethic and instinctive tackling ability is going to impress them. He's made the big jump. He is in great shape mentally and physically. I am anxious to watch his career develop.”
The Cardinals appear to have big plans for Christian.
“The Cardinals felt like he could be a multiple-type of safety for them,” Maskill said. “He's excited and we're excited for his opportunity.”
Christian becomes the third Midwestern State player to be drafted by an NFL team, joining defensive tackle Dudley Meredith (Detroit, 1957) and offensive guard Amini Silatolu (Carolina, 2012).
“This means a lot to our program because now we’ve had guys taken in the second and fifth rounds in the last five years,” Maskill said.
