Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Three Blazers named NFL Draft prospects

VALDOSTA —  Three Valdosta State football players have found their way onto a list of prospects for the upcoming April NFL Draft.

Valdosta State linemen Ryan Schraeder and Edmund Kugbila and defensive back Greg Reid are listed as potential prospects for the upcoming draft, according to CBSsports.com.

Schraeder, who joined the Blazers in the spring of 2011, is ranked as the 26th best offensive tackle and the 325th best overall prospect for the upcoming draft. Listed as 6-foot-7, Schraeder was named an All-American following the 2011 season with the Blazers and will likely be named an All-American this season.

In his one season at Butler Community College, Schraeder, who didn't start playing football until college, led the Grizzlies to the NJCAA National Championship Game while being named an All-American.

The 6-foot-5 Kugbila was named a third-team All-American following the 2011 season that featured him being named a unanimous All-Gulf South Conference selection. Kugbila began playing for the Blazers as a freshman in 2009 and turned into a starter in 2010.

Reid, a former Lowndes standout, joined the Valdosta State football team in August. Less than two weeks after joining the team, he tore his ACL during a scrimmage and was later ruled out for the remainder of the season. Despite not playing a snap for Valdosta State, Reid could hear his name called in April's draft following a successful three-year career on the field at Florida State.

With the Seminoles, Reid was the nation's top punt returner and was projected as a late second or early third round selection following his junior season in 2011. Reid chose to return to FSU to help improve his draft stock but was dismissed from the team for violation of team rules. 

Currently, former Blazer Larry Dean is the only Valdosta State alumnus playing in the National Football League. A member of the Minnesota Vikings, Dean was named a special teams candidate on the NFC Pro Bowl ballot this year.

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.