Associated Press
April 27, 2008 09:58 pm
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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Reggie Smith was startled awake when the NFL came calling. Chris Chamberlain didn’t know if he’d be getting a call at all.
Both players were chosen in the NFL draft Sunday as the number of players selected from Oklahoma colleges this year grew to five.
Smith, a defensive back from Oklahoma, was still in bed when the San Francisco 49ers phoned to let him know they’d drafted him with the 75th overall pick. It was only the 12th pick of the third round, which began at 9 a.m. Oklahoma time.
Chamberlain didn’t get his call until the seventh round and the 228th overall pick. The Tulsa linebacker had already been discussing a possible free-agent contract with the St. Louis Rams when the team decided to draft him instead.
“I knew there was a chance. Some teams had expressed interest in drafting me in the late rounds so I knew there was a chance. I thought I would most likely end up as a free agent and teams have already begun to call about being a free agent,” Chamberlain said. “Obviously I had my hopes up that something would still happen with the draft and it did, so I am really pleased.”
Oklahoma running back Allen Patrick was also a seventh-round pick, going at No. 240 to the Baltimore Ravens. He was the only Sooners senior to be drafted. Linebacker Curtis Lofton and Malcolm Kelly, who were both second-round picks Saturday, and Smith all entered the draft after their junior year.
“I felt it was the right decision. I talked to my parents, talked to my coach and got his opinion and got my dad’s help, and I just went with my heart,” Smith said. “I felt like this was the right time for me. I’ve been playing for three years, and I just thought this was a good time for me.”
Smith split time between cornerback and safety at Oklahoma, and he also returned kicks and briefly played some wide receiver. He scored three touchdowns in his Oklahoma career — one on a fumble, one on an interception and one on a punt return.
“I think I’m going to start as a corner and see if that works, and if not, I’ll move to safety. I’m happy either way,” said Smith, who missed the Fiesta Bowl with a toe injury. “Either one is fine with me. As long as I can help out.”
Chamberlain also entered Sunday unsure of what position he’d play in the pros. He played linebacker throughout his college career but had been scouted by some teams as a safety. Through preliminary talks with the Rams, he expected to stay at linebacker.
“That is the spot I have been playing in college for the past three or four years and that is what I am comfortable with. I think if I come in and work hard and listen to what the coaches tell me, I think I have a great future,” Chamberlain said.
Patrick became the third Oklahoma player drafted by the Ravens in the past four years, joining defensive lineman Dan Cody and wide receiver Mark Clayton.
“I have a lot of respect for Allen Patrick because of the adversity he fought through and a lot of appreciation for what he meant to our program,” Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. “His toughness and attitude set a tremendous example for others on our team to follow.
“As both a running back and a special teams player he made contributions, but it was the way that he approached the game that always impressed me the most. I think he’s got a great chance to make the team and we will be rooting for him to do just that.”
No players from Oklahoma State were drafted. Among the Cowboys’ NFL hopefuls were receiver Adarius Bowman and Dantrell Savage.
Several other players with ties to Oklahoma were picked.
Running back Tashard Choice, who transferred from Oklahoma to Georgia Tech after Adrian Peterson joined the Sooners, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys. Kansas receiver Marcus Henry, who attended Lawton Eisenhower High School, went in the sixth round to the New York Jets.
Brandon Keith, an offensive lineman who transferred from Oklahoma to Northern Iowa before ever playing for the Sooners, got drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round.
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