On Saturday night, Louisville sports information sent out a press release touting the program setting a school-record for having 10 Cardinals selected in the NFL Draft.
"What an exciting day for our program," head coach Bobby Petrino said. "I'm very happy for all the players who were selected over the last three days. To have a total of 10 players drafted, it's a testament to the hard work these guys put in during their time at Louisville. I wish all these guys the best of luck, and thank them for all their contributions to our program. I look forward to watching them during their NFL careers."
Truth is, Texas should be celebrating that news every bit as much as U of L is. A big chunk of the Cards' draftees came from their 2011 signing class.
Four years ago, none of the major online recruiting sites ranked Charlie Strong's first full recruiting class at Louisville in the top 25, but it produced three first-rounders (Teddy Bridgewater, Calvin Pryor and DeVante Parker); three third-rounders (John Miller, Jamon Brown and Lorenzo Mauldin); two sixth-rounders (Deiontrez Mount, Charles Gaines); and one seventh-rounder (Gerod Holliman).
In all, Louisville had eight picks drafted in the first three rounds in the past two years. The Cards had only seven players picked in first three rounds in the previous 10 years. U of L also had four first-rounders in the past two years compared to just two first-rounders in the 16 years before Charlie Strong was hired.
A few months back I visited with Strong at UT, and he spoke in great detail about development. This is a prime example of what he's talking about.
Strong is quick to point out that only Bridgewater of that bunch was hyped as a blue-chip prospect. "Those guys weren't afraid to work because nothing was ever given to them," Strong said.
Texas sports info man John Bianco did reference the Cards' success with this tweet:
No doubt Strong's got a lot of work ahead of him, but his track record should provide Longhorn fans -- and brass -- with some comfort.
Ouch, Tennessee
On the flipside, look at Derek Dooley's class from four years ago, which was ranked in the top 15 on Signing Day. That group fizzled out, and Dooley got booted. The upshot: This year the Vols failed to have a player drafted for the first time since 1964.
"What an exciting day for our program," head coach Bobby Petrino said. "I'm very happy for all the players who were selected over the last three days. To have a total of 10 players drafted, it's a testament to the hard work these guys put in during their time at Louisville. I wish all these guys the best of luck, and thank them for all their contributions to our program. I look forward to watching them during their NFL careers."
Truth is, Texas should be celebrating that news every bit as much as U of L is. A big chunk of the Cards' draftees came from their 2011 signing class.
Four years ago, none of the major online recruiting sites ranked Charlie Strong's first full recruiting class at Louisville in the top 25, but it produced three first-rounders (Teddy Bridgewater, Calvin Pryor and DeVante Parker); three third-rounders (John Miller, Jamon Brown and Lorenzo Mauldin); two sixth-rounders (Deiontrez Mount, Charles Gaines); and one seventh-rounder (Gerod Holliman).
In all, Louisville had eight picks drafted in the first three rounds in the past two years. The Cards had only seven players picked in first three rounds in the previous 10 years. U of L also had four first-rounders in the past two years compared to just two first-rounders in the 16 years before Charlie Strong was hired.
A few months back I visited with Strong at UT, and he spoke in great detail about development. This is a prime example of what he's talking about.
Strong is quick to point out that only Bridgewater of that bunch was hyped as a blue-chip prospect. "Those guys weren't afraid to work because nothing was ever given to them," Strong said.
Texas sports info man John Bianco did reference the Cards' success with this tweet:
No doubt Strong's got a lot of work ahead of him, but his track record should provide Longhorn fans -- and brass -- with some comfort.
Ouch, Tennessee
On the flipside, look at Derek Dooley's class from four years ago, which was ranked in the top 15 on Signing Day. That group fizzled out, and Dooley got booted. The upshot: This year the Vols failed to have a player drafted for the first time since 1964.
