After an impressive showing in the NFL draft a year ago, the Wisconsin Badgers managed to send five members to the professional ranks in the two-day selection process over the weekend. Junior running back Brian Calhoun and senior wide receiver Brandon Williams highlighted the UW class of 2006, with senior tight ends Owen Daniels and Jason Pociask, as well as senior wide receiver Jonathan Orr not far behind.
Seven players were selected in 2005, including defensive end Erasmus James at the 18th overall selection. This year, only offensive players were chosen. The last time that occurred was just two years ago, when wide receiver Lee Evans led a class of three from the offensive side of the ball.
Center Donovan Raiola signed with St. Louis, defensive back Levonne Rowan signed with Philadelphia and fullback Matt Bernstein signed with Detroit as undrafted free agents Sunday night.
After going two rounds without a Badger name being called, the Detroit Lions chose second-team All-American Calhoun with the 10th pick in the third round (74th overall). Calhoun, who spent the day with more than 50 friends and family members at his home in Oak Creek, Wis, joins former Badger linebacker Alex Lewis in Detroit.
It was an all day wait [to be chosen] and I was up early because I couldn't sleep much last night,\ Calhoun said. ""But finally, in the third round, Detroit pulled the trigger, and I'm happy I'm headed there.""
Calhoun put together one of the most impressive seasons in Wisconsin football history last year, becoming only the second player in NCAA Division I-A history to gain 1,500 rushing yards and 500 through the air. Calhoun accumulated 2,207 all-purpose yards.
He joins Lions running back Kevin Jones, and wide receivers Mike Williams and Roy Williams in a high-powered offense, led by new head coach Mike Martz.
""I can pair pretty well with Kevin Jones,"" Calhoun said. ""I think we have the capability of being an explosive offense and it should be a good situation for all of us.""
Not far behind Calhoun was the selection of Williams, who was at 20th selection in the third round (84th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers. UW's all-time leader in receptions and kickoff return yards will join former UW defensive back B.J. Tucker on the 49ers' roster.
This past year, Williams earned a second-team All-American selection, hauling in 59 caches for 1,059 yards and joined Evans as the only receivers in school history to pass the 1,000-yard mark in a season.
The Badgers started the second day of the draft weekend with a bang, as Daniels was chosen with the first pick in the fourth round (98th overall) by the Houston Texans Sunday.
The Naperville, Ill. native, who came to UW as a quarterback, flourished in his transition to tight end. Looking back on what he had to overcome, Daniels was humbled to be playing in the professional ranks.
""Just being in the position to get drafted after coming to Wisconsin as a quarterback, then switching to tight end and dealing with injuries along the way, I'm proud of what I've been through and how far I've come, and I'm honored to be in the position I am,"" Daniels said.
Daniels received a call from the Texans at approximately 9:45 a.m. He said the team had not spoken to him since his impressive workout at the NFL Combine in February. Daniels, who visited with Chicago, Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Washington and had workouts with New England, Dallas and Atlanta, was uncertain of his appeal to Houston.
""I knew they needed a tight end,"" Daniels said, ""but I wasn't sure how interested they were in me.""
The most surprising selection of the Badgers selected had to be the New York Jets pick of Pociask with the 18th pick in the fifth round (No. 150 overall). Pociask, who describes himself as ""the kind of guy who expects the worst and hopes for the best,"" said he did not expect himself to be drafted at the beginning of the season.
""If I had to put money on myself being drafted in the NFL, I don't know,"" Pociask said. ""Did I think I have the capabilities to do it? Yeah, I definitely think I had the capabilities to play and get drafted, but it was all up to how I played in the season.""
Pociask, who caught just seven catches for 79 yards and no touchdowns last year in a backup role behind Daniels, said many told him that he was the best blocking tight end in the draft. In his visit to New York, new head coach Eric Mangini and the rest of the staff discussed the idea of Pociask being a fullback for their team.
The final player selected in the draft from Wisconsin was no surprise.
Orr, the Badgers' third receiver last year, was picked with the fourth pick in the sixth round (172nd overall) by the Tennessee Titans.
The pick was the third offensive player chosen by the Titans after Texas' Vince Young and USC's LenDale White.
""They expressed that they had an interest in me and were happy they had the opportunity to get me at that point in the draft,"" Orr said.
Notable players who went undrafted were cornerback Brett Bell, offensive guard Jason Palermo and linebacker Dontez Sanders.\
