The seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft will always own a place in sports history after Missouri’s Michael Sam became the first openly gay person selected by an NFL team. For two UConn players, the seventh round will simply be remembered as a relief and the end of an anxious waiting period.
On the third day of the draft, defensive tackle Shamar Stephen and linebacker Yawin Smallwood finally received the phone calls they had been waiting for. Stephen was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the fifth pick of the seventh round, overall the 220th pick of the draft. And Smallwood followed in spot No. 253 of 256, selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the final moments of the draft.
Shamar Stephen
Smallwood, watching the draft from his home in Worcester, Mass., was starting to worry that he wouldn’t be drafted as he fielded calls from various teams about free agent possibilities.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Smallwood said during a conference call with reporters Saturday night. “I’m blessed and I thank God that Atlanta gave me this opportunity. I want to make sure every team that passed up on me regrets it.”
Smallwood was expected to go in the middle rounds of the draft. His overall rank in the draft, according to ESPN, was 197. His drastic drop might be attributed to his 40-yard dash time at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February. He injured his hamstring during the test and recorded a dash of 5.01 seconds.
“They had three of game film on me,” Smallwood said. “I still wanted to go out there and show my speed. Things just didn’t go my way. I’m not worried about the negative stuff. I’m just going to go forward.”
Smallwood, who flies to Atlanta Sunday, recorded 332 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 27 tackles for loss at UConn, playing under three different defensive coordinators.
Yawin Smallwood
The draft was a much different experience for the UConn program compared to last season. The Huskies had a record five players selected in 2013, including Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore and Blidi Wreh-Wilson, who were taken with picks 64, 66 and 70 in the third round.
Since 2007, a UConn player had been taken every in one of the first six rounds.
Stephen, out of Brookville, N.Y., has been projected as high as a third-round pick.
“Honestly, it was just a long wait,” Stephen said. “I just want to come in and prove I can play and be a factor for [the Vikings] next year. I’m worried about what round I was drafted. I just want to make the team and show people that I can play.”
Stephen was a team captain at UConn in 2013 and finished third in tackles with 60. He recorded five sacks and 130 tackles in his UConn career.
Stephen had visited with the Vikings in April and came away with a good vibe.
“I was definitely impressed with them,” he said. “It was a great meeting. They definitely showed me a lot of love.
“[Being drafted] means everything to me and my family. It’s a great opportunity for me.”
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