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For their own good Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
TAMPA - For months, it's been a running joke for Alex Smith, that when he finally gets to make a name for himself in pro football, he winds up in the same NFL Draft where the No.1 overall pick is also named Alex Smith.
"Whether it be an interview, or my family members call me, thinking I'm up for the Heisman or something like that," said Smith, a 6-foot-4, 258-pound tight end from Stanford taken by the Bucs in the third round Saturday. "
Not that Smith hasn't distinguished himself. He caught 52 passes for 706 yards and three touchdowns as a senior, solidifying his position as the second-best tight end in the draft behind first-rounder Heath Miller of Virginia.
"He's big, he's pretty, he's strong, he's smart, he's fast, and he's got good hands," tight ends coach Ron Middleton said. "We've got to get him more nasty in the running game, but he's willing to do that. I'm just ecstatic about this pick."
With the addition of free agent Anthony Becht and Smith, the Bucs will have a new look to their two-tight end sets, and head coach Jon Gruden said he was intrigued by Smith's downfield abilities.
"He's great after the catch. He's accomplished as a receiver," Gruden said. Twenty-one picks after selecting Smith, the Bucs closed their first day by taking offensive tackle Chris Colmer of North Carolina State, a 6-foot-6, 315-pound senior. His selection with the 91st overall pick will allow the Bucs to shift tackle Anthony Davis left guard this summer.
Colmer, 24, redshirted his first season in Raleigh in 1999, and was granted a medical redshirt in 2003 after missing the year due to a shoulder infection. He started all 11 games for the Wolfpack at left tackle last season.
"When healthy, he's been tremendous," Gruden said. Both third-round picks represent the Bucs' largest commitment to the positions in years. Tampa Bay hasn't used a pick this high on a tight end since Harold Bishop in 1994, and Smith hopes to help offset the departure of veterans Ken Dilger and Ricky Dudley. As for Colmer, the Bucs have only taken one other offensive tackle on the first day of the draft since 1991, selecting Kenyatta Walker in the first round in 2001.
ALEX SMITH
POSITION: TE
COLLEGE: Stanford (3rd, 71st overall)
HT./WT.: 6 feet 4, 258 pounds
HOMETOWN: Denver
40 SPEED: 4.7 seconds
RESUME: Was the first tight end to lead Stanford in receptions in 35 years, catching 52 passes for 706 yards and three touchdowns. ... Earned second-team All-America honors and ranked second nationally among tight ends in catches and yards. SCOUTING REPORT: An athletic pass-catcher downfield, wasn't called upon for much run-blocking ... Bench-pressed 225 pounds 28 times at the scouting combine, where he also registered a 34-inch vertical leap and scored a 32 out of 50 on the Wonderlic intelligence test.
WILD CARD: Smith's father, Edwin, played defensive end for the Broncos from 1973-76. Smith helped Mullen High win Colorado's Class 5A state championship as a junior, and he was an honorable mention all-state selection in basketball and placed eighth in the state in the high jump as a senior.
BUCS DEPTH CHART: Anthony Becht will start, and third-year pro Will Heller has been in the offense long enough to open camp ahead of Smith. To make the roster, he likely will have to beat out Nate Lawrie, a sixth-round pick last year who caught one pass, but the Bucs could carry four tight ends. Smith is expected to contribute more on special teams than any tight end since Todd Yoder.
CHRIS COLMER
POSITION: Offensive Tackle
COLLEGE (ROUND SELECTED, OVERALL PICK): North Carolina State (Third round, 91st)
HEIGHT: 6-5
WEIGHT: 310
HOMETOWN: Port Jefferson, N.Y.
40 SPEED: 5.35 seconds.
RESUME: A three-year starter at N.C. State, appeared in 47 games, collecting 288 knockdown blocks among 2,937 plays. ... As a senior, had 59 knockdowns among 649 plays. ... Was considered one of the ACC's best linemen.
SCOUTING REPORT: Said to have thick bone density with good overall muscle definition, particularly in the legs. ... Is a physical blocker, strong player who plays aggressively and wears out defenders. ... Weakness might be against speed rushers. Defenders with quick second moves have been troublesome. WILD CARD: He missed the 2003 season with Parsonage Turner Syndrome, a viral infection that caused numbness and pain. He earned a sixth season of eligibility from the NCAA.
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Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
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