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.
Spring Break
