Troy’s McKelvin taken by Bills in first round

Drew Champlin
Media General News Service
Published: April 26, 2008

Leodis McKelvin spent Saturday celebrating with his family and friends.

Around 3:15 p.m., McKelvin got a life-changing call. The Buffalo Bills had made the Troy cornerback the No. 11 pick in the NFL Draft.

Three years ago, former Troy defensive end Demarcus Ware was picked at No. 11 by the Dallas Cowboys.

McKelvin fell right in the middle of where several predictions had him going — as high as No. 6 and as low as No. 17.

McKelvin was the first cornerback taken in the draft.

“I really wanted to be the first cornerback taken,” McKelvin said. “I felt I could have been picked higher, but it’s draft day. Anything can happen.”

Buffalo was one of the 11 places McKelvin visited, but definitely the coldest.

“I guess I’ll go up there and make me some snow angels,” McKelvin said. “I’m just ready to go out there and play.”

McKelvin said he would report to Buffalo on Wednesday.

Strength and conditioning coach Richard Shaughnessy said the pick by the Bills of McKelvin came as a surprise, though the spot didn’t. Shaughnessy said he heard from McKelvin’s agent that he could go anywhere from No. 3 to 15.

“It really was unexpected,” Shaughnessy said. “Buffalo was one of those teams that did their homework and that was about it.

“We had teams like New Orleans and the Jets come in and work him out and do the whole deal. All those teams went above and beyond.”

Once Atlanta took Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan in the third spot, the draft started to take shape.

Shaughnessy said he thought if New Orleans had held on to the No. 10 spot, then the Saints would have taken McKelvin, but New Orleans traded up to the seventh spot and took Sedrick Ellis, a defensive tackle from USC.

New England, which had head coach Bill Belichick come to Troy, dropped down to the No. 10 spot and picked Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo before McKelvin went at No. 11.

“People went on a needs basis,” Shaughnessy said. “After the Matt Ryan pick, it snowballed after that.

“Anything less than (11), I would have been disappointed.”

McKelvin won’t be the only Trojan that finds himself in a training camp. Shaughnessy said that linebacker Marcus Richardson and possibly cornerback Elbert Mack and wide receiver Gary Banks could be drafted today as rounds three through seven start at 9 a.m.

Kicker Greg Whibbs could be a late pick or sign a free agent deal. Other Trojans with chances to end up in camps are defensive tackles Chris Bradwell and Marcus Pittman, quarterback turned receiver Omar Haugabook and running back Kenny Cattouse.

“I would be floored if all of them were not in a camp,” Shaughnessy said.