| Cecil Shorts, the 2009 D3football.com offensive player of the year, will next wear a Jacksonville Jaguar uniform. |
Cecil Shorts became the highest selection for a Division III player in the NFL draft in the seven-round era, going 114th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars and ending a two-year D-III draft drought.
There hadn't been a Division III football player drafted by an NFL team since Pierre Garcon and Andy Studebaker were taken two spots apart in 2008.
Of the past 10 Division III players drafted, just one had gone any earlier than the sixth round: UW-Stout cornerback Tony Beckham, who was selected in the fourth round, 115th overall, in 2002. Chris Warren (1990) and Pete Metzelaars (1982) were each drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first 100 selections previously.
One hundred fifty-seven players were selected in Saturday's final four rounds, but Shorts was the only player selected. Because of the lockout, undrafted players cannot be signed by NFL teams, a process which usually sees another handful of Division III signees.
Shorts, a three-time D3football.com All-America selection, caught 70 passes for 1,196 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Purple Raiders last season, leading them to the Stagg Bowl for the sixth consecutive year. He even played quarterback and a little on defense in Mount Union's title-game loss to UW-Whitewater.