| Chris
Greenwood Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com |
Two-time D3football.com All-American Chris Greenwood gives Division III football a draft pick for the second consecutive year, as the Albion cornerback went in the fifth round at No. 148 overall to the Detroit Lions.
"Playing in the NFL has been my life dream, my life goal," Greenwood said in a school release. "I chose Albion because it gave me an opportunity to play and it has become my family and it's something that's always going to be a part of me. My work ethic has brought me a long way and today is the realization of a dream I've had all my life."
Greenwood stood out at the University of Michigan’s pro day, where he reportedly turned in a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, with a vertical of 43 inches and 16 bench press reps at 225 pounds. After picking off four passes in 2010, he intercepted just two passes for the Britons in 2011 as opponents avoided his side of the field.
Other Division III football players have free-agent hopes, including Monmouth (Ill.) quarterback Alex Tanney, Beloit tight end Derek Carrier, Cal Lutheran cornerback Justin Haulcy-Bateman and more.
The list of all players taken in the past decade of NFL drafts is relatively short:
| Year | Player, pos., school | Team | Round-overall |
| 2012 | Chris Greenwood, CB, Albion | Lions | 5-148 |
| 2011 | Cecil Shorts, WR, Mount Union | Jaguars | 4-114 |
| 2008 | Andy Studebaker, DE/LB, Wheaton (Ill.) | Eagles | 6-203 |
| 2008 | Pierre Garcon, WR, Mount Union | Colts | 6-205 |
| 2007 | Michael Allan, TE, Whitworth | Chiefs | 7-231 |
| 2007 | Derek Stanley, WR/RET, UW-Whitewater | Rams | 7-249 |
| 2003 | Ryan Hoag, WR, Gustavus Adolphus | Raiders | 7-262 |
| More: | draft picks dating to 1991 |