UVa’s Long No. 2 pick in draft

Pending a signature, Central Virginia is gaining its newest multi-millionaire.
On Saturday, with the No. 2 pick of the NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams selected former St.-Anne’s Belfield and University of Virginia star defensive end Chris Long, sending a roar through local eateries and the Foxfield Races.
Another Cavalier, Branden Albert, also went in the opening round. The Kansas City Chiefs took the offensive lineman 15th overall. Former Fork Union Military Academy standout Phillip Merling of Clemson was picked at No. 32, the first pick of the second round, by the Miami Dolphins.
Long, donning a dapper suit and an orange tie, stole the show early, waiting only a few minutes after the draft started to have his name called.
The 6-foot-4, 275-pounder then posed on national television for photo opportunities with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and later with his father, NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long.
“I didn’t know it was going to be me until the commissioner called my name,” Long told reporters. “I knew the Rams were interested in me but as you get closer, crazy things happen. Everybody that was in New York said the Rams were interested in all six of us. In the end it comes down to needs and the way it falls in the building. Luckily enough, I’m so appreciative of the fact that I had enough guys who wanted me to be in St. Louis.”
A hometown hero who even has a sandwich named in his honor at Littlejohn’s Deli near the university, Long became the highest UVa player taken in the draft since 1942, when the school’s first All-American, halfback Bill Dudley, was taken with the top overall selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Yet throughout the process Long remained humble. That was proven by his guest list in the green room, the waiting area for draft picks invited to New York City for the opening day’s festivities.
Long was joined by three of his former mentors — Virginia coach Al Groh, STAB coach John Blake and University of Richmond coach Mike London, his position coach at UVa during three seasons.
The experience for Groh was reminiscent of 2006 when he was invited to the draft by former tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who was taken fourth overall.
“In these two years that I have been flattered to be here, there have been 12 players here and yet only the players from Virginia have had their high school and college coaches there,” Groh told The Daily Progress. “It’s reaffirming with how we talk about this being a football family situation at Virginia.
“What happens good for one of us is good for all of us.”
Saturday’s events proved glorious for at least one Charlottesville resident, as well.
John Raymond, a travel specialist with Grand Classroom, has not only been a Virginia season-ticket holder throughout Long’s career but has been a Rams fan since falling in love with their uniforms in 1974 as a youngster.
“I think Chris Long was a great pick,” Raymond said. “I love it. They are getting the face of the franchise. If they had picked Glen Dorsey from LSU, I think he would have been a great player, but nobody would have ever talked about him again because he was a defensive tackle.
“Defensive ends make headlines.”
Raymond also admitted that he was a skeptic when Long arrived at Virginia out of STAB but has enjoyed the progression.
“I actually thought him going to Virginia was a favor to Howie. I thought this kid is never going to be anything more than a special-teamer, a role player. I had no idea he would be as good as he was.”