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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, MARCH 25, 2014 – USF football players with NFL dreams got a taste of the draft experience Saturday afternoon as the program continued to prepare for the upcoming spring game at Corbett Stadium.
Instead of coaches simply splitting up the roster, head coach Willie Taggart, serving as commissioner, announced three rounds of picks chosen by the White Team led by quarterbacks coach David Reaves and Green Team headed by running backs coach Telly Lockette.
“We tried to find a way where we still can get some work in and still make it competitive and fun for our guys,” Taggart said. “We've been practicing really hard this entire spring and it's been good. I think it also gives our guys a chance to play with guys they're not normally playing beside.”
The spring game roster formation started with two free agent acquisitions for each team during the week – defensive tackle/defensive end Elkino Watson and wide receiver Andre Davis were acquired by the White Team and running back Michael Pierre and defensive end Demetrius Hill by the Green Team.
The Bulls grinded out a full scrimmage Saturday afternoon before the entire team assembled in the football meeting room for the main event of the Spring Game Draft.
“The 2014 Spring Game Draft has begun,” Taggart said with a pretty good commissioner-type voice as he stood at the podium. “White team, you're on the clock.”
The popular first pick in the NFL Draft tends to be a quarterback, but the Bulls' draft took on a style all its own as the White Team went with junior offensive lineman Thor Jozwiak with the first overall selection. Jozwiak, sporting a fierce Mohawk, has shined this spring after missing all of last season due to a heart condition.
“Being the No. 1 pick is an honor. There are a lot of great guys out here and they deserve it just as much as I do. My brothers are making me better,” Jozwiak said after posing with a white USF jersey for a camera shot with Commissioner Taggart at the podium.
The Green Team countered by picking senior left tackle Darrell Williams second overall.
“He's playing good football right now and we've got to protect the quarterback,” Green Team head coach Lockette said.
Senior right tackle Quinterrius Eatmon went fourth overall to the White Team and the selection of junior guard Brynjar Gudmundsson, who moved to tackle this spring, with the No. 5 pick by the Green Team marked the fourth offensive lineman chosen in the first five selections.
“It was really a linemen-heavy draft there in the first round. There were some interesting picks,” Taggart said.
USF's leading man wasn't shocked, however, because of the high level of play the Bulls' big men up front have been producing this spring. The draft reflected the offensive lines strong play throughout the spring and the maturing of that unit in their second season under Taggart and first under offensive coordinator Paul Wulff.
“It gives our coaches an opportunity to pick guys and it lets me see what they think of our guys,” Taggart said. “I think it's fun for our players to keep it competitive.”
The offensive lines domination of the first rounds of the draft was broken up by the selection of quarterback Mike White with the No. 3 overall pick by the Green Team. The White's first skill position pick came with the No. 6 overall selection of redshirt freshman fullback Kennard Swanson who has had an impressive spring.
The first defensive player taken in the draft was sophomore defensive tackle Derrick Calloway who was taken No. 7 overall by the Green Team, followed closely by linebacker Auggie Sanchez with the No. 8 overall pick by the White Team. Calloway played in six games as a true freshman, while Sanchez redshirted his freshman year last year and moved from fullback to middle linebacker this spring, a move in which he has excelled.
The first receiver off the board was tight end Sean Price who was taken No. 9 overall by the Green Team. Price posted 21 catches for 185 yards last year and the junior has stepped up his game this spring. The White Team countered with the selection of speedy wide receiver Chris Dunkley with the No. 10 overall selection. The first round of the draft was closed out with the selection of guard Jeremi Hall by the Green and tackle Kofi Amichia by the White.
The players certainly enjoyed the draft experience as they munched on pizza and watched NCAA men's basketball tournament games on big-screen projectors between picks.
“It makes spring a little more fun and interesting, so everybody's minds right now are boggling (between picks),” senior defensive tackle Todd Chandler said.
A room full of pondering Bulls during the draft broke out into mayhem after the final selection was completed as the teams enter the free agency period.
Drafted players buzzed around the room, chirping in free agents' ears about joining their team, while coaches worked the room, calling out players and holding up their phones as they made their hilarious negotiating pitches.
“Our guys enjoy it, our coaches enjoy it and I think it's something where we can have a lot of fun and still get some good work out of it as well,” Taggart said.
Check out the complete spring game rosters below and watch the Bulls go to work this Saturday as USF hosts the spring game on campus at Corbett Stadium, the home of the men's and women's soccer teams. The stadium is located across from the Sun Dome and next to the Lee Roy Selmon Athletics Center.
“All fall we get a chance to go to Ray Jay and experience that great environment, but we often don't get to go on our campus,” Taggart said. “We have a beautiful campus that we need to flaunt a little bit and also get our students involved. We need our students there in the fall at Ray Jay and it starts by getting them excited here and getting them behind our football team. They'll show up and make Ray Jay a snake pit for anyone that comes in there.”
