Georgia Southern Eagles Wait for Call This Weekend
4/25/2013 6:07:00 PM | Football
NEW YORK – Everyone, at one time or another, has known what it feels like to wait for the phone to ring. Several Georgia Southern Football players hope to be getting calls from NFL teams this weekend and in the days to follow as their backyard dreams could become reality. Both J.J. Wilcox and Brent Russell are listed on the 2013 NFL Draft website as potential draft picks and Eagles Darius Eubanks and John Stevenson have fielded inquiries from NFL teams as well.
The 2013 NFL Draft begins Thursday night, April 25th, from Radio City Music Hall at 8 p.m. with the first round and coverage of the second- and third-round selections Friday, April 26th, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Rounds four through seven will be conducted Saturday, April 27th beginning at 12 p.m. The entire 2013 NFL Draft will be broadcast live on the NFL Network and streamed live on NFL.com/draft. Fans can also follow the draft on twitter @NFL_Draft using the hashtag NFLDraft or GSNFLDraft to follow the Eagles' statuses. A complete round-by-round team draft order is available here.
Draft and signing statuses of Eagles will be updated on GSEagles.com, facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter @GSAthletics as information becomes available. Eagles who may not be selected this weekend in the draft may sign with NFL teams as free agents.
Eagle J.J. Wilcox made quite an impression on NFL teams, even more so since Senior Bowl week in January and through recent workouts. Wilcox, who played on the offensive side of the ball for Georgia Southern before making the switch to safety for an All-America season in 2013, earned an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine. He posted solid numbers in Indianapolis in the 40-yard dash (4.57), 225-lb. bench press (17 reps), vertical jump (35 inches), broad jump (10'4") and three-cone drill and had a star-level performance in the 30-yard shuttle drill.
"I definitely have butterflies," said Eagle safety J.J. Wilcox, who will be watching and waiting from his hometown of Cairo, Ga. "I don't know where I'm going to be, and while it's a time when I'm not sure about the future, I have to enjoy this and be ready to get where I'm going." said Eagle safety J.J. Wilcox. "Georgia Southern and our coaching staff, Coach Monken, Coach Curtis, and Coach Melton, prepared me in so many ways and instilled the mentality of working hard at everything we do. I don't feel like there is anything I can't do and I'll continue to work hard to be the best at that position (safety)."
Consensus All-American, two-time Buck Buchanan Award finalist and 2012 College Football Performance Elite Defensive Tackle award winner, Brent Russell finished his Georgia Southern career as the Eagles' all-time sacks leader. Russell, who graduated in December 2012, will be at home in Comer, Ga., with his six-year-old son Nolan, and his family.
"I am definitely anticipating this weekend," said Brent Russell, who is burning his nervous energy in workouts and answering questions from team personnel. "I can try and do everything to be the best football player I can be, but I'll never be good at waiting. This has definitely been an experience, one that I never thought I would have, and it has been a lot of fun. I count myself as very fortunate to have played college football at Georgia Southern and to have been a part of this program. I feel I'm ready to make a mark somewhere. "
Twenty-six Eagles have gone on to play for professional teams including Laron Scott, currently signed with the New York Giants organization, and Rob Bironas, who begins his ninth season with the Tennessee Titans in 2013. Two Eagles earned Super Bowl rings during their NFL careers with Fred Stokes winning as a starter on the Washington Redskins' Super Bowl XXVI team and Earthwind Moreland in Super Bowl XXXIX as a member of the New England Patriots.
Georgia Southern's Tracy Ham was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams as a running back in 1987, but opted to play in the Canadian Football League at quarterback. His stellar 13-year career produced two championships and numerous records and awards, including selection as league MVP and Most Outstanding Player of the Grey Cup.
A fifth-round draft pick in 2000, cornerback Kiwaukee Thomas played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills before continuing his career in the CFL. Safety David Young, selected in the sixth round of the 2003 draft, also went to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Eagle Adrian Peterson got the call from the Chicago Bears the year before, also in the sixth round. The NCAA's Division I all-time leading rusher spent eight seasons with the Monsters of the Midway and played two with the Virginia Destroyers of the UFL.
"It is a source of pride for the Eagle Football program and for our University to know that we have several student-athletes who are considered to be in the elite class of those who have an opportunity to play football at the professional level," said Georgia Southern Head Football Coach Jeff Monken. "Each of these young men has made a tremendous investment in hopes of realizing their dream of playing in the National Football League and I certainly feel strongly that they are deserving of the opportunity. I am proud that their experiences as student-athletes at Georgia Southern have been a platform for them to represent our institution and showcase their abilities. We wish them well."
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS.
