April 28, 2011
New York, N.Y. – A pair of University of Missouri football standouts were selected Thursday night in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, as sophomore DE Aldon Smith (Raytown, Mo.) and junior QB Blaine Gabbert (Ballwin, Mo.) were taken seventh and 10th overall, by the San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively. This marks the first time in Mizzou history that two Tigers have gone in the top 10 in the same draft. Prior to 2011, Mizzou had a total of five top-10 draft picks in school history.
Mizzou's rise to national prominence under Head Coach Gary Pinkel (40 wins in the last four years ranks 10th-most in the nation from 2007-10) corresponds to a much bigger role in the NFL Draft of late. Gabbert and Smith give Mizzou five first-round draft picks in the last three years – a figure which ranks second-most in the nation.
Previously, WR Jeremy Maclin (No. 19 to Philadelphia in 2009) became the first Tiger to play under Gary Pinkel to become a first-round pick. He was joined in that same draft by DL Ziggy Hood (No. 32 to Pittsburgh) to mark the first time since 1977 that two Tigers went in the first round in the same draft. That feat was followed in 2010 when LB Sean Weatherspoon became the third first-rounder in two years (No. 19 to Atlanta).
“I'm really happy and excited for Blaine and Aldon,” said Pinkel. “They have both had dreams for a long time to play in the NFL, and they're great examples of how those goals can be reached through our program at Mizzou. They're both going to quality franchises, and it's really rewarding to continue to see more and more of our guys playing at the next level. I know they're going to do great things and be great representatives of our program going forward,” he said.
Nineteen Tigers who played under Pinkel have now been drafted thus far, with the potential for more to hear their name called as the draft continues Friday (rounds 2-3) and Saturday (rounds 4-7).
The recent stretch of five first-rounders in three years is unprecedented in Mizzou history. The most comparable stretch came from 1977-81, when four Tigers were taken in the first round during that five-year period. Mizzou also had four first-round picks during an earlier six-year stretch, from 1966-71.
Here's a look at the schools with the most first-round NFL Draft picks over the last three years (2009-11)…
|
School |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
Total |
|
Alabama |
1 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
|
Missouri |
2 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
|
Florida |
1 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
|
Oklahoma |
0 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
California |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
USC |
3 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
|
Oklahoma State |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
|
Rutgers |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
|
Tennessee |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
|
Georgia |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
Ohio State |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
Baylor |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
Here's a rundown of Mizzou's first-round NFL Draft pick history…
Year Round Pick Overall Tiger Team Position
2011 1 7 7 Aldon Smith 49ers DE
1 10 10 Blaine Gabbert Jaguars QB
2010 1 19 19 Sean Weatherspoon Falcons LB
2009 1 19 19 Jeremy Maclin Eagles WR
1 32 32 Ziggy Hood Steelers DL
2001 1 4 4 Justin Smith Bengals DE
1987 1 15 15 John Clay Raiders T
1981 1 26 26 Howard Richards Cowboys T
1979 1 13 13 Kellen Winslow Chargers TE
1977 1 11 11 Morris Towns Oilers T
1 19 19 Steve Pisarkiewicz Cardinals QB
1971 1 11 11 Joe Moore Bears RB
1969 1 19 19 Roger Wehrli Cardinals DB
1968 1 4 4 Russ Washington Chargers T
1966 1 10 10 Francis Peay Giants T
1946 1 8 8 Bill Dellastatious Lions B
1943 1 9 9 Bob Steuber Bears RB
Here's a recap of all of the NFL Draft picks to play for Gary Pinkel at Mizzou…
Year Round Pick Overall Tiger Team Position
2011 1 7 7 Aldon Smith 49ers DE
1 10 10 Blaine Gabbert Jaguars QB
2010 1 19 19 Sean Weatherspoon Falcons LB
2009 1 19 19 Jeremy Maclin Eagles WR
1 32 32 Ziggy Hood Steelers DL
2 23 55 William Moore Falcons S
3 34 98 Chase Coffman Bengals TE
5 3 139 Colin Brown Chiefs OL
6 26 199 Stryker Sulak Raiders DL
2008 4 6 105 Will Franklin Chiefs WR
4 12 111 Martin Rucker Browns TE
2007 4 16 113 Brian Smith Jaguars DE
2006 4 6 103 Brad Smith Jets WR
7 35 243 Tony Palmer Rams G
2005 3 25 89 Atiyyah Ellison Panthers DT
5 6 142 Damien Nash Titans RB
6 17 191 C.J. Mosley Vikings DT
2003 5 8 143 Justin Gage Bears WR
6 41 214 Keith Wright Texans DT