Defensive end Marcus Howard, once viewed as a recruiting bust when he failed to pan out at linebacker, became the first University of Georgia player selected Sunday in the NFL draft when Indianapolis tabbed him in the fifth round.
Howard expects to be used as a situational pass rusher for the Colts, who have excelled recently in pressuring quarterbacks with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. The 6-foot-1, 238-pound Howard closed his college career by sacking Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan three times and scoring a touchdown off a Brennan fumble in the 41-10 Sugar Bowl scorching of Hawaii.
“I think I’ll be able to help the Colts rush the passer,” Howard said Sunday on the Indianapolis team Web site. “They have a couple of guys just like me, probably just a tad bit bigger. Just watching those guys play the past three or four years, I’ve seen the defensive ends that they use. It’s pretty much the same Tampa 2 (defense) we had at UGA.”
Howard was the latest Georgia player drafted since 2000, when a trio of Bulldogs went in the seventh and final round. Four Bulldogs were picked Sunday, with tailback Thomas Brown going to Atlanta in the sixth round, offensive lineman Chester Adams to Chicago in the seventh and kicker Brandon Coutu to Seattle in the seventh.
Former Bulldogs signing free-agent contracts following the draft included defensive end Brandon Miller (Atlanta), tailback Kregg Lumpkin (Green Bay), safety Kelin Johnson (Seattle) and offensive lineman Fernando Velasco (Tennessee).
Howard signed with Georgia in 2003 as a linebacker but could not make any headway on the depth chart, so he was moved to end in 2005. Last season was his first as a starter, and his frantic finish against Hawaii enabled him to become the Southeastern Conference sack leader for the season with 10.5.
Brown is the fifth-leading rusher in program history with 2,646 yards, this despite missing the final six games of the 2006 season with a torn ACL and three games last year with a broken collarbone. The 5-8, 205-pounder got married Friday to longtime girlfriend Jessica Brown but said on Atlanta’s Web site that the honeymoon will have to wait until after mini camp.
“The first step is coming in and getting acquainted with the team and earning my spot,” said Brown, who was born in Atlanta. “I feel like I can come in and contribute immediately. I feel as though I bring a lot of things to the table, not only my running game but also in the passing game and picking up blitzes as well.”
He is the third Georgia player drafted by the Falcons in the past three years, joining quarterback D.J. Shockley in 2006 and tight end Martrez Milner last year.
Adams made 23 starts in his career and was one of just two linemen with returning experience last season, when the Bulldogs went 11-2 and finished No. 2 nationally. He is the first Georgia player drafted by the Bears since kicker Kevin Butler in 1985.
Coutu made 53 of 66 field-goal attempts in his career and had a long of 58 yards against Louisiana-Monroe in 2005. He made 114 consecutive extra points and was rated by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper as the top kicker in this draft.
David Paschall is a sports writer for the Times Free Press. He started at the Chattanooga Free Press in 1990 and was part of the Times Free Press when the paper started in 1999. David covers University of Georgia football, as well as SEC football recruiting, SEC basketball, Chattanooga Lookouts baseball and other sports stories. He is a Chattanooga native and graduate of the Baylor School and Auburn University. David has received numerous honors for ...
