Outback Bowl Alumni Selected in NFL Draft

Tampa, FL -- During it's sixteen years the Outback Bowl (known as the Hall of Fame Bowl the first nine years) has provided college football fans the opportunity to watch some of the best players in the sport including plenty of future professionals. That was apparent in this springs NFL draft as twenty-nine players were selected who have played in the Outback Bowl during their college careers. This follows thirty taken in the 2001 draft.

In all this brings the total number to at least 418 alumni of this bowl who have been drafted or signed as free agents with NFL teams. In just the past five years 124 players have been drafted including twenty-three first round picks and the No. 1 picks in both 1999 and 2000.

The 2002 NFL draft selections of Outback Bowl alumni included:

Round 1 (Overall pick in parentheses)
Wendell Bryant, DT, Wisconsin, by Arizona (12)
Charles Grant, DE, Georgia, by New Orleans (25)

Round 2
Kalimba Edwards, DE, South Carolina, by Detroit (35)
LeCharles Bentley, C, Ohio State, by New Orleans (44)
Sheldon Brown, DB, South Carolina, by Philadelphia (59)

Round 3
Andre Goodman, DB, South Carolina, by Detroit (68)
Willie Offord, DB, South Carolina, by Minnesota (70)
Will Witherspoon, LB, Georgia, by Carolina (73)
Akin Ayodele, LB, Purdue, by Jacksonville (89)
Dennis Johnson, DE, Kentucky, by Arizona (98)

Round 4
Jonathan Wells, RB, Ohio State, by Houston (99)
Omar Easy, RB Penn State, by Kansas City (107)
Travis Dorsch, K, Purdue, by Cincinnati (109)
Mike Echols, DB, Wisconsin, by Tennessee (110)
Randy McMichael, TE, Georgia, by Miami (114)
Terreal Bierria, DB, Georgia, by Seattle (120)
Darnell Sanders, TE, Ohio State, by Cleveland (122)
Jamar Martin, RB, Ohio State, by Dallas (129)

Round 5
Nick Greisen, LB, Wisconsin, by New York Giants (152)
Jermaine Phillips, DB, Georgia, by Tampa Bay (157)
Verron Haynes, RB, Georgia, by Pittsburgh (166)
Courtland Bullard, LB, Ohio State, by St Louis (167)

Round 6
Tyson Walter, OT, Ohio State, by Dallas (179)
John Stamper, DE, South Carolina, by Tampa Bay (193)
John Gilmore, TE, Penn State, by New Orleans (196)
Mark Anelli, TE, Wisconsin, by San Francisco (201)
Steve Bellasari, DB, Ohio State, by St. Louis (205)

Round 7
Josh Mallard, DE, Georgia, by Indianapolis (220)
Tim Wansley, DB, Georgia, by Tampa Bay (233)

The Outback Bowl matches the third picks from the SEC and Big Ten Conferences on New Year's Day in Raymond James Stadium. The 2002 game featured South Carolina defeating Ohio State on the final play 31-28 in front of a sellout crowd. For ticket and sponsorship information contact the Outback Bowl office at (813) 874-BOWL.