Nimmo, Davis Drafted
April 28, 2003 10:04 AM | General
April 28, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Offensive tackle Lance Nimmo became the first West Virginia University football player of the Rich Rodriguez era to be selected in the NFL draft when he was taken in the fourth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday afternoon.
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| Lance Nimmo was taken in the fourth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Sunday's NFL draft. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
Linebacker James Davis joined Nimmo in the draft when he was taken in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions. Davis was the 144th overall player taken, while Nimmo was the 130th player picked.
West Virginia did not have a player picked in last year’s NFL draft.
Nimmo, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound New Castle, Pa., native, was a two-year starter at left offensive tackle where he helped the Mountaineers to the nation’s second-best rushing attack. Nimmo earned first team all-Big East and all-ECAC honors after starting every game his senior season. The team captain, who played in every game his junior and senior seasons, was voted the Ira Errett Rodgers Award by the Mountaineer coaches for all-around excellence.
Davis, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound Stuart, Fla., resident, had his finest season as a senior, earning second team all-Big East honors at outside linebacker. He holds the career record for tackles for losses with 40 and ranks sixth in career sacks at WVU with 18. Davis finished 2002 with 120 tackles and 13.5 tackles for losses. He had a career-best 12 tackles in a loss at Wisconsin.
Also, the WVU Sports Communications Office has learned that WVU’s all-time rusher king Avon Cobourne plans to sign a free agent deal with the Detroit Lions, while defensive tackle David Upchurch plans to sign a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cobourne, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound Cherry Hill, N.J., native, ranks as one of the most prolific rushers in NCAA history gaining 5,164 career yards in 44 games to rank among the NCAA top 10 rushers all-time. Cobourne is the school and Big East all-time rushing leader and he finished his senior season with a WVU-record 1,710 yards to help the Mountaineers to a second-place Big East finish.
Cobourne had 28 100-yard rushing games including a career-high 260 yards against East Carolina in 2002. Cobourne was a first team all-Big East performer and he also earned third team All-America honors by the Associated Press.
Upchurch, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive tackle from Hyattsville, Md., was a three-year starter for West Virginia. He earned second team all-Big East honors as a senior in 2002 after recording 41 tackles and 14.5 tackles for losses. Upchurch ranks third at WVU in career tackles for losses with 25. He earned the John Russell Award picked by the WVU coaches for outstanding line play.
News reports have mentioned that safety Angel Estrada plans to sign with an NFL team in the next few days.
