Madison Square Garden has been pretty good to Boston College this year (see: Big East Basketball Championship). That is, until this weekend’s NFL Draft.
In a two-day, 258-pick affair at the Garden that is the day of truth for many college football players, it appears that BC was not on the radar for many teams. There was a sense of optimism heading into this weekend. Some magazines and newspapers listed around eight BC players who were being considered as future draft picks.
But, when the Arizona Cardinals made the last selection on Sunday afternoon, only one Eagle knew of his NFL fate. Senior offensive lineman Paul Zukauskas would be heading to Cleveland to fight for a spot on the Browns’ 53-man roster. Cleveland has a need for offensive lineman, and ESPN.com listed offensive line as one of their top needs for this draft. Zukauskas (all 6’5”, 318 pounds of him) will be protecting Tim Couch, the former Kentucky star, and trying to strengthen one of the club’s weakest positions.
Cleveland also hired a new coach in Butch Davis, who came from University of Miami. Zukauskas played against Davis and the ’Canes for four years, and being an All-Big East selection this year probably did not hurt either. Davis cited facing Zukauskas as an opponent and BC’s offensive line history as a factor in the decision.
In a press conference, Davis described him as a “warrior, battler and scrapper,” and went on to say, “We had coached against him at Miami, and had been able to watch him play. Their running game, and their success with the inside zone plays had a lot to do with how he played.”
As things look good for Zukauskas, many Eagle prospects were left in the cold after the draft, but still have a good shot at making teams. Senior quarterback Tim Hasselbeck and senior running back Cedric Washington were thought to be potential late round picks. Hasselbeck was the only other Eagle besides Zukauskas to work out at the invite-only combine in Indianapolis.
The Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants among other teams, had shown interest in the 6’1,” 210-pound Hasselbeck, but both teams passed on the BC signal-caller – the Giants selected Florida’s Jesse Palmer, while the Cowboys took Georgia’s Quincy Carter.
It was tough competition among QBs in this year’s draft, as Heisman finalist and Oklahoma star Josh Heupel was the last quarterback taken. That fact alone speaks volumes of how deep the quarterback pool was this year.
Tim’s brother, Matt Hasselbeck, did not appear to be destined for NFL greatness when he left Chestnut Hill, but became one of the most sought-after quarterbacks during the off-season, and is considered to be a favorite for a starting quarterback job next season.
Running back Cedric Washington had a great career at BC, including a stellar 183-yard performance on 29 carries against Miami in 1999. Washington’s size (5’9,” 201) is thought to be only average, and there really was not much that separated him from the rest of the running back field. Perhaps if Zukauskas’ success against Miami landed him a job in Cleveland, the Browns will come calling for Washington as well. The Browns do not have a clear-cut starter at running back, and maybe Cedric and Paul could both take their show to the Midwest.
When talking about Hasselbeck and Washington, their NFL careers might not start next year. Other players had their draft hopes dashed this weekend as well. Cornerbacks Jonathan Ordway, RaMon Johnson, linebacker Ryan Burch, and offensive linemen Mike Cook and Paul Laquerre will try to sign on with an NFL team as free agents within the next week.
Most of the BC players mentioned will go to training camp this summer and try to impress the coaches who passed them over. Motivation will have to be a factor for these guys, as they will be going up against supposedly more talented players.
There are many options beyond the NFL. Arguably, the Candadian Football League offers the best alternative. Although the field has some wacky measurements, it is a road that worked for Doug Flutie. NFL Europe is something that is used as another “minor league” that NFL teams use to find hidden gems.
Regardless of whether BC received one draft pick or eight, no teams are set until after training camp. As Butch Davis was praising Zukauskas in his press conference, he also spoke how BC has had a history of producing great NFL talent in the last 18 years.
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