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Published Tuesday | April 29, 2008
Football: Purify still looking for NFL home
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
? NFL Draft: Some Huskers called, some left waiting
? Team-by-team draft picks
<http://www.omaha.com/neo-images/owh/nav/button/gray_left.gif> RELATED <http://www.omaha.com/neo-images/owh/nav/button/gray_right.gif>
? NFL Draft: Some Huskers called, some left waiting
? Team-by-team draft picks
LINCOLN ? Maurice Purify wished the only bad thing happening to him Sunday was not being picked in the NFL draft.
[Click to Enlarge]
Purify was under the impression from Dallas-based agent Gary Glick that he would be, at worst, a late-round draft pick. Instead, he was left to find an interested team along with a number of other undrafted former Huskers.
Only there was this little deal with the Dallas Cowboys and a potential free-agent agreement.
"My agent called me and I said, 'Go ahead with it if the contract is good,'" said Purify, the former Nebraska receiver.
Purify could live with going to Dallas. Maybe this was meant to be.
"We had something set right after the draft with the Cowboys and it fell through," Purify said Monday. "I guess they had a mixup in their organization and didn't know that they had signed a receiver from Stanford."
Mark Bradford got a ticket to Dallas and Purify another restless night. On Monday, he received an invitation to a Cincinnati mini-camp ? not agreeing to any immediate terms with the Bengals ? and only two other offers.
Purify was under the impression from Dallas-based agent Gary Glick that he would be, at worst, a late-round draft pick. Instead, he was left to find an interested team along with a number of other undrafted former Huskers.
"Beggars can't be choosers," Purify said from Eureka, Calif. "The man upstairs has got different routes for everybody to go, and this is mine."
On Monday, according to compiled lists of free-agent agreements, safety Tierre Green hooked up with Green Bay and receiver Frantz Hardy with Philadelphia, while linebacker Corey McKeon will try a mini-camp at Tampa Bay. On Sunday, cornerback Cortney Grixby agreed to terms with Carolina, linebacker Steve Octavien with Kansas City and linebacker Lance Brandenburgh with San Francisco.
The only former NU players drafted were cornerback Zack Bowman, fifth round to Chicago; offensive tackle Carl Nicks, fifth to New Orleans; and linebacker Bo Ruud, sixth to New England.
Purify likely wasn't helped by three separate incidents in Lincoln in a 10-month span. Two last summer led to him being suspended for the 2007 season-opening game with Nevada.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder said a fire has been ignited after both the draft and post-draft snubs.
"That's where I'm at right now," said Purify, who had 91 receptions and 16 touchdowns in 25 career games at NU. "I just want to get on a team and prove to them all that I should have been up there. I kind of like that ? like being the underdog, like being behind in the fourth quarter."
It was bittersweet for Purify to watch good friends Bowman and Nicks be drafted Sunday as he waited. He spoke briefly with Bowman before turning off his cell phone Sunday night.
"He just told me to get my chance, and when I get my chance do what I can do," Purify said. "He knows deep down that I should be with those receivers picked in the second and third rounds."
? Contact the writer:
444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com
Football: Purify still looking for NFL home
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
? NFL Draft: Some Huskers called, some left waiting
? Team-by-team draft picks
<http://www.omaha.com/neo-images/owh/nav/button/gray_left.gif> RELATED <http://www.omaha.com/neo-images/owh/nav/button/gray_right.gif>
? NFL Draft: Some Huskers called, some left waiting
? Team-by-team draft picks
LINCOLN ? Maurice Purify wished the only bad thing happening to him Sunday was not being picked in the NFL draft.
[Click to Enlarge]
Purify was under the impression from Dallas-based agent Gary Glick that he would be, at worst, a late-round draft pick. Instead, he was left to find an interested team along with a number of other undrafted former Huskers.
Only there was this little deal with the Dallas Cowboys and a potential free-agent agreement.
"My agent called me and I said, 'Go ahead with it if the contract is good,'" said Purify, the former Nebraska receiver.
Purify could live with going to Dallas. Maybe this was meant to be.
"We had something set right after the draft with the Cowboys and it fell through," Purify said Monday. "I guess they had a mixup in their organization and didn't know that they had signed a receiver from Stanford."
Mark Bradford got a ticket to Dallas and Purify another restless night. On Monday, he received an invitation to a Cincinnati mini-camp ? not agreeing to any immediate terms with the Bengals ? and only two other offers.
Purify was under the impression from Dallas-based agent Gary Glick that he would be, at worst, a late-round draft pick. Instead, he was left to find an interested team along with a number of other undrafted former Huskers.
"Beggars can't be choosers," Purify said from Eureka, Calif. "The man upstairs has got different routes for everybody to go, and this is mine."
On Monday, according to compiled lists of free-agent agreements, safety Tierre Green hooked up with Green Bay and receiver Frantz Hardy with Philadelphia, while linebacker Corey McKeon will try a mini-camp at Tampa Bay. On Sunday, cornerback Cortney Grixby agreed to terms with Carolina, linebacker Steve Octavien with Kansas City and linebacker Lance Brandenburgh with San Francisco.
The only former NU players drafted were cornerback Zack Bowman, fifth round to Chicago; offensive tackle Carl Nicks, fifth to New Orleans; and linebacker Bo Ruud, sixth to New England.
Purify likely wasn't helped by three separate incidents in Lincoln in a 10-month span. Two last summer led to him being suspended for the 2007 season-opening game with Nevada.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder said a fire has been ignited after both the draft and post-draft snubs.
"That's where I'm at right now," said Purify, who had 91 receptions and 16 touchdowns in 25 career games at NU. "I just want to get on a team and prove to them all that I should have been up there. I kind of like that ? like being the underdog, like being behind in the fourth quarter."
It was bittersweet for Purify to watch good friends Bowman and Nicks be drafted Sunday as he waited. He spoke briefly with Bowman before turning off his cell phone Sunday night.
"He just told me to get my chance, and when I get my chance do what I can do," Purify said. "He knows deep down that I should be with those receivers picked in the second and third rounds."
? Contact the writer:
444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com
