NFL Draft: Bulldogs Tie Record Set In 2002
By Danny Bishop
Sanders Commings, photo by Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/
Four University of Georgia football players were selected on the final day of the NFL Draft on Saturday. Cornerback Sanders Commings and Wide Receiver Tavarres King were selected in the fifth round while Defensive End Cornelius Washington and Safety Bacarri Rambo were picked in the sixth round.
Commings was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs with pick No. 134, and King followed at No. 161 to the Denver Broncos. In the next round, Washington was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 188th pick and Rambo was taken with the 191st pick by the Washington Redskins.
A total of eight Bulldogs were taken in during the 2013 three-day draft. Linebackers Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree headlined the Georgia draft class as they were taken with the 17th and 30th picks of the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively. Georgia’s eight players drafted in this year’s draft ties a school-record set back in 2002.
Commings, a native of Augusta, is just the second Bulldog to ever be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs as former Georgia linebacker Justin Houston was selected by Kansas City in 2011. Commings started 12 games for Georgia in 2012 making 51 tackles and three interceptions. During his senior season, he had a career-high nine tackles versus Kentucky. Prior to the season, Commings was named to SEC Coaches’ and Phil Steele Preseason All-SEC Third Team. He finished his career with 154 tackles and eight interceptions in 54 games.
Tavarres King, photo by Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/
Tavarres King, a product of Mount Airy, is the first Bulldog to be selected by the Broncos since Knowshon Moreno went to Denver in 2009. King finished his career ranked third all-time at UGA with 21 receiving touchdowns and fourth all-time with 2,602 receiving yards. He notched seven 100-yard receiving games during his five years in Athens. In 2012, he appeared in 14 games making 12 starts, leading the team with 950 receiving yards, which ranks fourth all-time at Georgia in a single season. He finished his career on a high-note, first reeling in a game-high 142 yards against Alabama in the SEC Championship game and then making three catches for 104 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown catch, versus Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. Prior to the season, he was named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-SEC Second Team, Biletnikoff Award Watch List and CFPA Offensive Awards Watch List. King finished his career with 2,602 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns on 136 receptions in 56 appearances.
Cornelius Washington, photo by Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/
Cornelius Washington, a Hephzibah, Ga., native, is the 17th Georgia Bulldog ever taken by the Chicago Bears. He was named to the Butkus Award Watch List in 2012. The redshirt senior appeared in 14 games, making 10 starts during his senior campaign. A highlight came during the third quarter of the SEC Championship game when he blocked a field goal that was returned by teammate Alex Ogletree for a touchdown. Washington had 10.5 career sacks, five of which came during his junior season. He appeared in 51 games for the Bulldogs over four seasons making 76 total tackles.
Bacarri Rambo, photo by Sonny kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/
Bacarri Rambo, originally from Donalsonville, is the 15th Georgia player ever to be selected by the Washington Redskins. Rambo was named to the 2012 Phil Steele All-SEC Second Team. His three interceptions in 2012 gave him a career total of 16—tying Jake Scott’s school record for career interceptions. In 2011, he was named a first team All-American by the Associated Press, Yahoo Sports and Rivals.com, Second Team All-American by Walter Camp, Phil Steele and Sports Illustrated, All-SEC First Team by Associated Press, ESPN.com and SEC Coaches and All-SEC Second Team by Phil Steele. Rambo finished his Bulldog career with 235 tackles and 16 interceptions in 47 appearances, 36 of which were starts.
Georgia nose guard John Jenkins and safety Shawn Williams were selected as the 82nd and 84th overall picks, respectively, during the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft on Friday night.
John Jenkins, photo by Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/
Jenkins went 82nd to the New Orleans Saints while Williams was selected two picks later by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bulldogs have now had four of their 2012 starters on defense selected in this year’s draft.
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected linebacker Jarvis Jones with the 17th overall pick in the opening round while the St. Louis Rams picked linebacker Alec Ogletree with the 30th overall pick in the first round.
Williams is the fifth Bulldog to be selected by the Bengals in the last four years. Cincinnati picked tight end Orson Charles in last year’s draft. Jenkins is the first Bulldog to be picked by the Saints since 2003 (Johnathan Sullivan).
Georgia also had a pair of players selected in the third round of the 2011 draft. Justin Houston has since earned All-Pro honors for the Kansas City Chiefs and Akeem Dent is one of the Atlanta Falcons’ starting linebackers.
Jenkins, a 6-3, 351-pound native of Meriden, Connecticut, was named to the Phil Steele All-SEC Second Team in his second and final season with the Bulldogs. Jenkins started 13 games in 2012 and finished with 50 tackles from his nose guard position.
During Georgia’s fourth consecutive win over Georgia Tech in 2012, Jenkins stalled the Yellow Jacket attack with a career-high 11 tackles. The transfer from Gulf Coast (Miss.) Community College also recorded a sack against #2 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and blocked a field goal in the matchup versus South Carolina.
Shawn Williams, photo by Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/
Williams, a 6-1, 217-pound native of Damascus, was elected as the team’s defensive captain after starting all 14 games in 2013 and anchoring the Bulldog defense. He finished second on the team with 98 tackles last season and with 209 in his career.
Posting four interceptions in 2011, Williams recorded a team-best 72 tackles two seasons ago to go along with a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Georgia has now had 21 players selected in the last three years.
All photos copyrighted property of Sonny Kennedy, sonnykennedyphotography.com/