April 23, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Running back Jason Wright (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar) will sleep a little easier after this weekend. Wright is one of four NU gridders who could hear his name called in the 69th Annual NFL Draft, which takes place Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 in New York.
ESPN and ESPN2 will televise the Draft. Check local listings for air times.
Wright, a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2003, led the Conference in scoring and ranked second in rushing. The two-time first-team Academic All-American capped off his career with a bowl-record 237 yards rushing and a school- and bowl-record 336 all-purpose yards against Bowling Green in the 2003 Motor City Bowl. For his efforts, he was named the bowl game's co-MVP.
Pat Durr (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles), Louis Ayeni (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury) and Torri Stuckey (Robbins, Ill./D.D. Eisenhower) comprise NU's defensive players who could be drafted in the later rounds or land free-agent contracts. (Click on the player's name for a complete biographical sketch.)
The trio led a Wildcat defense that surrendered nearly 150 fewer rushing yards per game in 2003 than it did the previous year.
Last year, center Austin King was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 33rd pick of the fourth round (133rd overall). Offensive tackle Jeff Roehl signed a free-agent contract with the New York Giants. Both saw a considerable amount of playing time in 2003.