TULSA WORLD HOMEPAGE | Wednesday, February 10, 2010 | WIRELESS
CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBER SERVICES | SIGN IN SIGN OUT | MY PROFILE PAGE | MY ACCOUNT

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on RSS
Sports Extra!
Follow us on ...
OU | OSU | TU | ORU | HIGH SCHOOLS | COLLEGE FOOTBALL | COLLEGE BASKETBALL | NFL | FANTASY | OUTDOORS | GOLF | PROS | ALL




SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS
    Sports Editor
Mike Strain
Sports Columnist
Dave Sittler
The Picker
Entertaining & Infuriating

LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

TULSA WORLD

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA



Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark

Second-round recruits

Curtis Lofton, a former Sooner linebacker, was selected in the second round on Saturday by the Atlanta Falcons. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World file

 
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 4/27/2008  1:41 AM
Last Modified: 5/8/2008  6:23 AM

Lofton to join Falcons; Kelly, Redskins



Three Oklahoma football players decided to skip their senior year at OU to enter the NFL Draft, but Saturday's action was not what they envisioned.

Wide receiver Malcolm Kelly dropped from a mid-first-round projection to the bottom of the second round. Linebacker Curtis Lofton said in December he'd turn pro if he could go in the first half of the first round, then didn't get picked until the early second round. And defensive back Reggie Smith wasn't taken at all on the first day of the draft.

OU was without a first-rounder for the first time since 2001.

Lofton was the first Sooner selected, going to the Atlanta Falcons with the sixth pick of the second round (37th overall). It's the fifth consecutive year a Sooner linebacker was drafted. Kelly was picked 20th in the second round (51st overall) by the Washington Redskins. Rounds three through seven take place on Sunday.

"Curtis was a catalyst for our defense and a part of the first back-to-back championships in Big 12 history," OU coach Bob Stoops said.

"He's a tackling machine," said first-year Falcons coach Mike Smith during a press conference in Atlanta. "He's a guy that's made a lot of tackles. There've been a lot of outstanding linebackers that have played at the University of Oklahoma the last few years, and coach Stoops said he may be the best one he's had. He's a guy that can make plays all over the field."

Kelly's precipitous plunge was especially curious. At the start of April, he was projected as a first-rounder and was widely regarded as the best wideout available after catching 144 passes for 2,285 yards and 21 touchdowns in his OU career. Most mock drafts forecast him to go to Buffalo with the 11th pick.

But Kelly ran a slow 40 time during his April 9 pro day (4.68 seconds), then didn't improve much with a second showing (4.63) on April 16. He complained about the slow surface in OU's indoor facility as well as his treatment by the OU strength staff that day.

"That was surprising," said Redskins general manager Vinny Cerrato at a press conference at Redskins headquarters. "I mean, he was projected to go early. I'm sure the time hurt him."

Kelly was the eighth of nine wide receivers drafted Saturday, but the Redskins think they got a steal.

"Malcolm Kelly was the only guy with still a first-round grade. He stood out like a sore thumb," Cerrato said. "It was an obvious choice for us."

No wide receivers were taken in the first round for the first time since 1990.



By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark


COMMENTS 
      Add your comment Show: Most Recent Comment First

14 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
Report Comment Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you.  -- Web Editor Jason Collington
 

 
Report Comment
Luke, Tulsa (4/27/2008 8:33:47 AM)
Poor OU players... They are lucky to get drafted. Luke

Go LSU!!
Report Comment
K-Tulsa, (4/27/2008 8:48:05 AM)
I promise "Luke", no one here cares what you think.
...go back to the swamp.
Report Comment
tony, tulsa (4/27/2008 9:18:45 AM)
hey luke i can only think of two words to describe glen dorsey "big flop" go OU
Report Comment
pokefan, broken arrow (4/27/2008 9:22:49 AM)
The Redskins did get a steal. I was hoping they would address their WR needs but I never dreamed that it would go this well on day one.
Report Comment
Jeremy, Broken Arrow (4/27/2008 11:32:00 AM)
At least Dorsey went top of first round. Luke, I applaud you for being a supporter of the best team in the NCAA, especially living in SoonerLand.

Geaux Tigers!!!
Report Comment
JokeU, Tulsa (4/27/2008 6:35:55 PM)
OU fans, it's kind of surprising you would talk smack to a team that kicked your butt the last time you played them. At least they have not been embarrassed in the last two bowls they played.
Report Comment
KBarrow, (4/28/2008 9:49:38 AM)
If you're referring to LSU's lucky win against OU in the Sugar Bowl several years ago, there was not a "kicked butt". LSU was lucky that OU didn't tie the game, LSU was lucky to have the close calls go their way, LSU was lucky to have it played in their homestate like that. A game where a team is withing 1 score can hardly be labeled a butt kicking. Are there really LSU fans in Oklahoma?....didn't think you could find good crawdads to eat there like you can in LA.
Report Comment
mike, tulsa (5/4/2008 9:37:14 AM)
I am an OU fan back to the end of Wilkinson's teams and remember the one dollar seats in the south end zone...I have seen the Sooners many times a home and on the road...so I have a legitimate right to gripe about the Sooners...What is so bad about 2nd round.........nothing....They will either make it in the pros or not...our record in recent years is not that great...but then again our record of winning national championships in big games the last few years isn't either...The big weakness OU has..............the same for the last few years.........it cannot or wont cover the deep pass...
Report Comment
Latest headlines, New York (5/4/2008 6:38:40 PM)
This site is weak. Old stories continue to pop up as latest headlines. This has been going on for quite some time.
Report Comment
soonerguy, ba (5/5/2008 6:49:24 PM)
ou rocked last year with adrian peterson being in the draft but i think if kelly wouldnt have have complained he would have gone hire in the draft
Report Comment
Luke, Tulsa (5/6/2008 5:58:31 AM)
Let me tell you OU fans about some facts.

The good HS players from Oklahoma all go to the SEC.

Look at the draft history: A. Robert Meachem UT Round 1.
B. Felix Jones UA Round 1.... This list is longer!!!

Higher than the OU players... It is clear that the OU players have poor 40 times and skills. The WR from OU Kelly is lucky to get drafted at all.

Go LSU!!!

Chuck
Report Comment
Owen Schulter, Ponca City (5/6/2008 11:02:50 AM)
0U's juniors in the draft was the best comedy on TV this year!!
LMAO!!!!!
Report Comment
weak site, Tulsa (5/6/2008 11:07:30 AM)
This site is weak. Old stories continue to pop up as latest headlines. This has been going on for quite some time.
Report Comment
Chuck, Broken Arrow (5/6/2008 7:27:51 PM)
Make fun of OU how many Osu players got drafted. Zilch,Notta
 

 
Add Your Comment 
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.

 
Post Your Comment
 



Home | About Tulsa World | Advertise With Us | Privacy | Usage Agreement | FAQ and Help | Contact Us | Today's Headlines
Copyright © 2010, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.