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Pat McQuistan taken in seventh round
Monday, May 1, 2006
By Jasen Asay
Standard-Examiner staff
jasay@standard.net
Wildcat, Cougar, two Utes picked late in NFL draft
As the Dallas Cowboys were about to make their pick in the seventh round of the NFL draft on Sunday, former Weber State offensive lineman Pat McQuistan knew he had a 50/50 chance of hearing his name called.
The Cowboys had called McQuistan just moments earlier and told him he was one of two players they were deciding between, and asked if he'd rather be put on hold or have them call him back after the pick was made. McQuistan opted to stay on the line and after the pick, Dallas owner Jerry Jones came on and delivered the news.
"I'm real excited, it's one of those things you can't plan," said McQuistan, who was the third pick in the seventh round and 211th overall. "You're just excited there are teams that are interested."
McQuistan also spoke with Dallas coach Bill Parcells and the team's offensive line coach Sunday, and admitted that it's a bit more of a relief that he was picked rather than having to try and sign with a team as a free agent.
There was a hint that the Cowboys were interested in McQuistan when they called him earlier Sunday morning to let him know that he was in the mix. The team was looking for more offensive lineman, and recently had a group come in for a visit. One of those players happened to be Pat's twin brother Paul, who was taken Saturday in the third round by Oakland.
"Paul said they're a real classy organization," McQuistan said.
If things go according to plan and both brothers make their squads, the McQuistan family will have some tough, but fun choices as to who they root for on Sundays.
"They're worried about who to cheer for, but I told them the biggest deal will be having to decide which games to go see," said Pat, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Sunday.
Three other Utah college players were taken in the seventh round: BYU receiver Todd Watkins went to Arizona, while Utah linebacker Spencer Toone and running back Quinton Ganther went to the Tennessee Titans. Utah State offensive lineman Donald Penn signed a free agent contract with Minnesota.
The second day of the NFL draft was "slash" day.
As in Michael Robinson, qb/rb; Brad Smith, qb/wr; Marques Hagans, qb/wr/kick returner; Reggie McNeal, qb/wr, AND ...
Jeremy Bloom, skier/kick returner/wr.
Such is the way on most Sundays at the draft when teams look for bargains in skill players who are either too small, too slow, or deemed not fit for the NFL at the position at which they starred in college.
Thus it was with Robinson, who was the Big Ten offensive MVP as he quarterbacked Penn State to the league title. He was chosen by San Francisco with the third pick of the fourth round and designated as a running back, one of the positions he played (along with wide receiver) before becoming a full-time QB in his final year in Happy Valley.
Three picks later, the New York Jets took Smith, a quarterback at Missouri who was projected as a wide receiver. Then in the fifth round, Hagans, Virginia's QB, was taken by St. Louis two picks before Bloom, the Olympic moguls skier, went to Philadelphia. Bloom was chosen by the Eagles despite missing two years at Colorado after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA for accepting endorsements for his skiing career.
McNeal went in the sixth round to Cincinnati.
Before the draft, Robinson called it "a misconception" that he wanted to be a QB in the NFL. But Smith made no secret of his desire to stay there.
Who can blame him after his performance in leading Missouri to a 38-31 comeback win over South Carolina in the Independence Bowl? In that game, he passed for 282 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 150 yards and three scores.
He said the right things after the Jets chose him, although he acknowledged: "I'm a quarterback at heart."
"I'm coming as a team player and athlete," he added. "Hopefully I get to play running back or quarterback as well as other positions. ... The Jets have honored me with the selection by picking me and saying I can help the team out."
Smith almost was a Ram. But coach Scott Linehan said he got the impression after talking to Smith that he still wanted to be a QB. So Linehan used a fifth-round pick on Hagans and will have him return kicks.
Bloom also will begin his career returning kicks.
"I went into this thing thinking I would not get drafted and do it through free agency," Bloom said. "I tried to lower the expectation when things were out of my control like they were today. All I can do now is show up in Philadelphia and bring my work ethic and work as hard as I can."
McNeal, the Texas A&M quarterback, was identified as a wide receiver by the Bengals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Monday, May 1, 2006
By Jasen Asay
Standard-Examiner staff
jasay@standard.net
Wildcat, Cougar, two Utes picked late in NFL draft
As the Dallas Cowboys were about to make their pick in the seventh round of the NFL draft on Sunday, former Weber State offensive lineman Pat McQuistan knew he had a 50/50 chance of hearing his name called.
The Cowboys had called McQuistan just moments earlier and told him he was one of two players they were deciding between, and asked if he'd rather be put on hold or have them call him back after the pick was made. McQuistan opted to stay on the line and after the pick, Dallas owner Jerry Jones came on and delivered the news.
"I'm real excited, it's one of those things you can't plan," said McQuistan, who was the third pick in the seventh round and 211th overall. "You're just excited there are teams that are interested."
McQuistan also spoke with Dallas coach Bill Parcells and the team's offensive line coach Sunday, and admitted that it's a bit more of a relief that he was picked rather than having to try and sign with a team as a free agent.
There was a hint that the Cowboys were interested in McQuistan when they called him earlier Sunday morning to let him know that he was in the mix. The team was looking for more offensive lineman, and recently had a group come in for a visit. One of those players happened to be Pat's twin brother Paul, who was taken Saturday in the third round by Oakland.
"Paul said they're a real classy organization," McQuistan said.
If things go according to plan and both brothers make their squads, the McQuistan family will have some tough, but fun choices as to who they root for on Sundays.
"They're worried about who to cheer for, but I told them the biggest deal will be having to decide which games to go see," said Pat, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Sunday.
Three other Utah college players were taken in the seventh round: BYU receiver Todd Watkins went to Arizona, while Utah linebacker Spencer Toone and running back Quinton Ganther went to the Tennessee Titans. Utah State offensive lineman Donald Penn signed a free agent contract with Minnesota.
The second day of the NFL draft was "slash" day.
As in Michael Robinson, qb/rb; Brad Smith, qb/wr; Marques Hagans, qb/wr/kick returner; Reggie McNeal, qb/wr, AND ...
Jeremy Bloom, skier/kick returner/wr.
Such is the way on most Sundays at the draft when teams look for bargains in skill players who are either too small, too slow, or deemed not fit for the NFL at the position at which they starred in college.
Thus it was with Robinson, who was the Big Ten offensive MVP as he quarterbacked Penn State to the league title. He was chosen by San Francisco with the third pick of the fourth round and designated as a running back, one of the positions he played (along with wide receiver) before becoming a full-time QB in his final year in Happy Valley.
Three picks later, the New York Jets took Smith, a quarterback at Missouri who was projected as a wide receiver. Then in the fifth round, Hagans, Virginia's QB, was taken by St. Louis two picks before Bloom, the Olympic moguls skier, went to Philadelphia. Bloom was chosen by the Eagles despite missing two years at Colorado after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA for accepting endorsements for his skiing career.
McNeal went in the sixth round to Cincinnati.
Before the draft, Robinson called it "a misconception" that he wanted to be a QB in the NFL. But Smith made no secret of his desire to stay there.
Who can blame him after his performance in leading Missouri to a 38-31 comeback win over South Carolina in the Independence Bowl? In that game, he passed for 282 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 150 yards and three scores.
He said the right things after the Jets chose him, although he acknowledged: "I'm a quarterback at heart."
"I'm coming as a team player and athlete," he added. "Hopefully I get to play running back or quarterback as well as other positions. ... The Jets have honored me with the selection by picking me and saying I can help the team out."
Smith almost was a Ram. But coach Scott Linehan said he got the impression after talking to Smith that he still wanted to be a QB. So Linehan used a fifth-round pick on Hagans and will have him return kicks.
Bloom also will begin his career returning kicks.
"I went into this thing thinking I would not get drafted and do it through free agency," Bloom said. "I tried to lower the expectation when things were out of my control like they were today. All I can do now is show up in Philadelphia and bring my work ethic and work as hard as I can."
McNeal, the Texas A&M quarterback, was identified as a wide receiver by the Bengals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
