Bucs take Jackson,

Lynch picked by Cincy
ASU’s Brown, Rauch

ink free agent contracts
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

For most of the decade, Appalachian State players had to sign free-agent contracts if they wanted to get into NFL camps. During this weekend, two Mountaineers were selected during the 2008 NFL Draft.

Appalachian State saw its first player taken in the NFL Draft since 2001, when Dexter Jackson was picked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round Saturday night.

Jackson was the 58th overall pick. The receiver from Dunwoody, Ga., is the second-highest pick the Mountaineers have ever had. Linebacker Dino Hackett was the 35th overall selection in 1986.

Jackson was the 10th receiver taken in the draft. All of those players were taken in the second round.

The Cincinnati Bengals made Corey Lynch the second Mountaineer taken in the 2008 draft. The Bengals picked Lynch in the sixth round with the 177th selection overall.

Appalachian State guard Kerry Brown and kicker Julian Rauch also signed free agent contracts. Brown signed with the Washington Redskins and Rauch with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jackson finished the Mountaineers’ seventh overall leader in career receptions with 110. Few were bigger than the 68-yard catch-and-run touchdown reception he had in the first quarter against Michigan.

In a bit of irony, Michigan quarterback Chad Henne was selected one pick before Jackson by Miami.

“Special teams really makes him a valuable guy for us,” said Bucs coach Jon Gruden on the team’s Web site. “He’ll give us some depth at the receiver position while he’s progressing and he’ll also give us a real kick, I think, in the return game.”

Jackson also caught touchdown passes of 52 yards against Richmond in the national semifinals and 60 yards in the Mountaineers’ 49-21 victory over Delaware in the FCS national championship game. His 60-yarder gave the Mountaineers a 35-14 halftime lead.

Jackson had felt before the draft that he could go as high as late in the second round to around the fourth round.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Jackson said. “I figured that if Tampa Bay was on the board and the other nine receivers went before me, I would be the guy they would pull the trigger on.”

Even though he wasn’t surprised to go as high as the second round, Jackson was still excited when he got the call from the Bucs.

“It was crazy,” he said. “I could never dream getting the phone call. It was like I had butterflies in my stomach.”

Jackson, who ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, caught 30 passes for 688 yards and eight touchdowns during the 2007 season. He is also a solid kick returner, which may be his early role with the Buccaneers. He returned two punts for touchdowns against Gardner-Webb in 2006 and has 837 career punt return yards.

Jackson reports to the Buccaneers’ rookie minicamp this Thursday. He said he has the same feelings of anticpiation that he did when he first arrived at Appalachian State.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “I’m ready to get a feel for it. It reminds me of when I was in college. I knew I was going there and it was exciting and now that (Tampa Bay) has drafted me, it’s exciting again.”

Tampa Bay is no stranger to Appalachian State receivers. Daniel Wilcox won a Super Bowl ring during his stay in Tampa. Wilcox is now a tight end with the Baltimore Ravens.