OU and OSU Dominate First Round of NFL Draft

Originally Published: Apr 22, 2010 11:5 PM CDT

More NFL Draft Coverage on Oklahoma Sports:
- Five More Oklahoma Players Drafted on Final Day
- Sam Bradford Selected No. 1 Overall by Rams
- Bucaneers Take Gerald McCoy With No. 3 Pick
- Redskins Select Trent Williams No. 4 Overall
- Russell Okung Selected No. 6 by Seahawks
- Bengals' Selection of Gresham Makes OU History
- Dez Bryant Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys
- Gerald McCoy's Draft was Family Business

NEW YORK CITY – Oklahoma and Oklahoma State contributed a total of six picks in the NFL Draft Thursday, including four of the first six selections.

It was a particularly significant day for the Sooners, who set a new program record with four players selected in the first round. OU also became the first school in NFL history to have three of the top four overall picks.

“I am so happy for these guys mostly because of the way they represent themselves,” OU head coach Bob Stoops said in a statement.“They are a credit to our university and our football program. I could not be more pleased for them. This accomplishment is the result of hard work and dedication that these guys have put forth since they day they arrived on our campus. They have earned their way to this level.”

Sam Bradford headlined the draft class when the St. Louis Rams made him the No. 1 overall selection. He is the third Sooner to earn the top pick and the first since Billy Sims in 1980.

“Sam is special. He is blessed with all of the attributes you like in a quarterback,” Stoops said. “He’s athletic, smart and mature. We throw words like those around pretty easily, but he possesses all of those qualities at an extremely high level. There is great comfort for a team and coaching staff with someone like that directing the offense.”

Following closely Bradford were teammates Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took McCoy at No. 3, and Stoops said the Bucs are getting a great player on and off the field.

“Gerald was one of the most complete student-athletes I have ever coached,” Stoops said. “Obviously, he made tremendous contributions to our program on the field, but he was just as valuable to our campus and community.”

The Washington Redskins immediately followed by selecting Williams with the No. 4 pick, completing a string of four players from the Big 12 to start the draft, the first time that one conference swept the first four picks.

“I have a great appreciation for Trent because of what he was willing to do for our program,” Stoops said. “I think he played every line position during his career here, and in his senior season, when I am sure he would have preferred to concentrate on the tackle position, he actually played some center because it was best for our team. That kind of unselfishness from very gifted players is something that coaches never forget.”

Oklahoma State got on the board shortly after when the Seattle Seahawks made Russell Okung the No. 6 pick, the highest a Cowboy has been selected since Barry Sanders in 1989.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Okung said in a statement. “I’m blessed to be in this position and I have so many people to thank for getting me here. There has been so much attention and anticipation the last couple of weeks and I actually feel relieved. Being drafted is the first step to where I want to end up.”

OSU head coach Mike Gundy had much of the same praise for Okung that Stoops had for Gerald McCoy.

“We are very proud of what Russell accomplished during his career at Oklahoma State and what he will now go on to accomplish as an NFL player,” Gundy said. “He is very mature both on and off the field and he has made a great impact on our program. We’re excited about what the future holds for him.”

After the slew of Oklahoma players to start the night, the Dez Bryant watch began. Bryant was one of the most talked about players of the draft, and the player whose destination was the hardest to predict.

Despite being the top wide receiver on most draft boards, he was not the first receiver to be picked. The Denver Broncos picked Damaryius Thomas at No. 22, causing the Dallas Cowboys to trade up in order to pick Bryant with the No. 24 pick.

"I've waited so long for this and the day is finally here," Bryant said. "I can't wait to get out there and show that I can make a difference. I used to dream about this as a kid and it still feels like it's a dream. I'm so excited. It's a blessing from God."

Bryant and Okung became the first pair of Cowboys selected in the first round since Barry Sanders and Hart Lee Dykes were both taken in 1989.

A few picks before Bryant fell to the Cowboys, the Cincinnati Bengals took tight end Jermaine Gresham with the No. 21 pick. That pick gave OU four players in the first round, a first in the program’s history.

“Jermaine is that combination of speed, size and strength that we see very rarely,” Coach Stoops said.“He also has an extremely competitive attitude which contributed to him being such a dominant player.He was a walking mismatch.”

Stoops heaped praise for the Sooners’ big night on the players and his coaching staff.

“This was a historic night, a statement for our program,” he said.“Everyone associated with our program should be proud of what was accomplished in this draft. I am just overwhelmed and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to get to know these guys and coach them. To think that four guys who came in as members of the same recruiting class went in the first 21 picks is amazing.”

The NFL Draft will continue with the second and third rounds on Friday, and the final four rounds on Saturday. For more specific coverage of each draft pick, click on the links at the top of this page or visit Oklahoma Sports’s Draft Central.