Trevathan to Denver in 6th round of draft
LEESBURG
Trevathan to Denver in 6th round of draft
FRANK JOLLEY | Staff Writer
frankjolley@dailycommercial.com
Former Leesburg High School and University of Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan realized the next phase of his dream on April 28 when the Denver Broncos selected him in the sixth round with the 188th pick in the NFL Draft.
He was the only player with area ties to be selected in the draft.
"I feel real good," Trevathan said from his mother's home in Ohio. "I wanted to get drafted in an earlier round, but I'm certainly not upset. How could I be disappointed? I got drafted!"
Trevathan said his agent, Bus Cook, is expected to complete his contract next week and he will travel to Denver on May 12.
Cook has represented NFL legend Brett Favre and the late Steve McNair, and currently lists Carolina quarterback Cam Newton as one of his clients.
"I can't wait to get out there and get to work, learning the system," Trevathan said.
A second-team All-SEC pick last season at Kentucky, Trevathan had 143 tackles as a senior, including 111/2 tackles for loss and a team high four interceptions.
He totaled 17 stops against Mississippi State, Georgia and Mississippi. Trevathan also led the Wildcats with five forced fumbles and three sacks.
His performance against Georgia -- which included a sack and two forced fumbles -- earned SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
As a junior, he led Kentucky with 144 tackles, and established a career high of 17 stops against Auburn. Trevathan also played against Alabama during the Crimson Tide's run to the national title in 2009 and made 71/2 tackles.
"Danny was the heart and soul of our team," Kentucky defensive coordinator Rick Minter said. "Not just on our defense but on our team. He lived up to the reputation that preceded him -- or that I found out about when I got here. He was a leader. He worked hard. He was a playmaker, a producer.
"I was never disappointed in the way he brought it."
Trevathan was selected with the pick Denver received from the New York Jets as part of the Tim Tebow trade.
Bucky Brooks, a former professional football player who writes about the NFL for "Sports Illustrated," said, "The Broncos picked up a tackling machine in Trevathan. He is slightly undersized for the position, but brings toughness and physicality to the field."
The final day of the draft was April 28 with fourth- through seventh-round selections being announced.
Among the selections were Nick Toon and Lamar Miller.
Toon, the son of former New York Jets standout Al Toon, was selected in the fourth round by the Saints. He can be comforted about going to play with Drew Brees in New Orleans, but Toon recognizes he will be compared to his father -- just as he was at Wisconsin.
"My dad was a great football player," Nick Toon said of Al, who retired prematurely because of concussions. "I don't think anyone would debate that. To go to the same school and play the same position, I think is a challenge."
That would be the Big Easy, no easy chore if the expectations are he will immediately replace Robert Meachem, who left as a free agent.
"No. 1, I think he has a great pedigree," interim coach Joe Vitt said. "He's a polished route-runner, can catch the ball outside the framework of his body and can make the big play."
Just like his dad did with the Jets from 1985 to 1992.
"He has been a great sounding board for me throughout my career and my entire life," Nick Toon said. "He has been a great blueprint (for me) as a football player. He is just a good person and a good leader."
Miller stayed home in Miami and had two more years of eligibility with the Hurricanes when he chose to enter the draft.
So who traded up to grab him?
The Dolphins.
Miami jumped six slots in a move with San Francisco to get Miller, one of the faster running backs in this crop and also a kick return prospect.
"I was upset at first," he said after waiting more than 36 hours to hear his name announced. "But now I'm happy with where I'm at. To be in my hometown, to get a chance to play for a Super Bowl, that's always a great thing. I'm just ready to put the team on the map."
Friday, May 04, 2012 - www.dailycommercial.com/aa1-mug-trevathan