Cavs continue draft run

In a way, Virginia’s football program will celebrate its 25th anniversary today.
Every year since 1984, the Cavaliers have had at least one player selected in the NFL draft.
That streak barely stayed alive last year as Marcus Hamilton (Tampa Bay) and Jason Snelling (Atlanta) were selected during the final 12 picks of the seven-round event.
Over the next two days, the newest dose of drama centers strictly upon how many and how early.
Defensive end Chris Long and offensive lineman Branden Albert appear to be locks for today’s first round (ESPN, 3 p.m.), which would mark the second time in program history that a pair of Cavaliers went in the opening round.
In 1997, linebacker James Farrior and defensive end Jon Harris were taken in the top 25 overall selections.
“It means a lot more for Branden and Chris than it necessarily does for the program,” said Virginia coach Al Groh, who will be in New York today with Long. “It’s a great day personally for those two kids. They are both great success stories how they put their career together and how they put themselves in this position. It’s fun to watch and exciting to be a part of.
“Obviously, program-wise, it gives us confirmation and makes us feel good that we have done our part in helping the player realize his potential and his aspirations.”
Long, who started his famed local career at St. Anne’s-Belfield, could be selected second overall by the St. Louis Rams. That would make Long the highest Cavalier taken since Bill Dudley was the top overall pick in 1942.
Long could also slip to fourth to the Oakland Raiders, the organization his father, Howie, played for during his Hall of Fame career.
With his parents expected alongside him today, Chris joked that his dad may have more butterflies during the potentially nerve-racking event.
“I think he’s more nervous for sure,” Chris said. “I’m the one that’s kind of like, ‘Hey, dad, just calm down. It will be all right. Whatever happens happens, and I’ll be better off at the end of the week than I was when I woke up Monday morning.’
“This is going to change my life in a positive way no matter how.”
Albert, considered versatile enough to play guard or tackle, has created a buzz in draft circles, climbing quickly in the eyes of many organizations.
That in itself is astonishing for a former unknown that credits former Virginia offensive lineman Brian Barthelmes with jump-starting his career.
“I learned a lot from Bart — his personality and how he played the moment I arrived,” Albert said. “He showed me the ropes and how to play football.”
While it seems unlikely that Virginia will challenge the program record for overall players selected — seven were taken in 2005 — others are expected to follow Albert and Long as the remaining six rounds unfold.
Tight ends Tom Santi and Jon Stupar are intriguing and proven players, guard/center Ian-Yates Cunningham is considered a versatile swing player, nose tackle Allen Billyk has experience clogging the middle in a 3-4 defense and safety Nate Lyles dazzled scouts with his pro day workout.
Former linebacker Jermaine Dias remains a possibility, and punter Ryan Weigand and placekicker Chris Gould could also latch on with teams, most likely after the draft.
Despite lacking gaudy stats, Billyk said teams have spoken to his agent.
“My agent said teams have called and got my draft-day phone number and asked where I was going to be,” Billyk said. “That doesn’t really mean that I will get drafted but at least I am on someone’s board, at least with a couple of teams.”
Santi said a team would be fortunate to land Billyk.
“He is just a Virginia football player,” Santi said. “There is not a lot of glamour in that 3-4 defense for a lineman like him, but Allen embodies that position. At nose tackle, he has to take on blocks so that he frees up other people, and you never hear him complain about it.
“He is out there busting it every time he is on the field. Somebody is going to be pleasantly surprised with what he can bring to the team.”
Several of the players will be torn as the draft unfolds. Being selected is memorable, but selecting a team as an undrafted free agent offers flexibility and could increase the chances of making a roster or a practice squad.
“It would definitely be really cool just to get called out and get drafted, but at the same time, if you go as a free agent you can choose between the teams interested in you,” Billyk said, “and you might be able to find a little better fit for yourself than if you get chosen by a team and you don’t know what the team’s plans are going to be for you.”
For Lyles, being drafted or landing in a camp would complete a lifelong dream that appeared impossible when he was carted out of Scott Stadium on Nov. 12, 2005 with a neck injury.
“It was scary, but I didn’t want to think that playing professionally couldn’t happen,” Lyles said. “Once the doctors cleared me to play football again, I feel like I played football like I could before. They told me not to hold anything back.
“That event was part of my life and I think it was a big deal when it happened, so I can understand why people would ask about it, but I don’t look at it as anything that is stopping me.”
Cunningham had a similar career-changing injury — he took a medical redshirt in 2004 due to back surgery that followed his rookie season. But Cunningham bounced back, starting the final 25 games of his career, and led the team with 47 knockdowns during the regular season.
“I wanted to be able to play, but you set goals and one of them was to get to the position I am in right now,” Cunningham said. “That’s just why I choose to work hard.”
Of late, Cunningham has heard from numerous organizations and has reason to think he will be drafted this weekend.
“Surprisingly, I have been getting a lot more calls than I expected,” he said. “A lot of people and a lot of teams have been calling and saying that they have me as a draftable guy on their board, and so it is looking bright for me.
“I am sure if my name is called it will surprise a lot of Virginia fans.”
Playing in the Hula Bowl, an all-star game in January, helped Cunningham considerably.
“It was a pretty big surprise for me and being able to be elected to go out there surprised a lot of people,” Cunningham added. “With [Albert] playing left guard, I was under the radar a little bit and not a lot of people had heard about me.
“I got to go out there and showcase my talents at center that I couldn’t show on film. I played center out there and did really well and I think that was beneficial for me.”
Given their position, the odds are stacked against Gould and Weigand. Gould has, however, heard from two teams that have guaranteed at least a free-agent tryout. Weigand has not been as fortunate.
“My agent said he has been in contact with the Texans the most,” Weigand said, “so I guess if something is going to happen it is going to happen with them.”
While Weigand and others are chasing the dream, former center Jordy Lipsey is not expected to pursue a career in football. Lipsey went to work with his father in Florida shortly after the Gator Bowl.