BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Four years ago, Glen Burnie basketball coach Mike Rudd felt his star player, Branden Albert, had come across the opportunity of a lifetime —  a full scholarship to play basketball at Niagara University. But Albert turned down the full ride, and surprisingly, it may have been the best decision of his life.

Instead, the 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive lineman accepted a football scholarship to Virginia just two years after picking up the sport. And on Saturday, Albert is expected to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, where many experts have him going as high as seventh to the New England Patriots. Coincidentally, the Patriots are coached by Bill Belichick, who is an Annapolis native.

“Right now, I feel out of touch with reality,” Albert said. “Saturday is going to be the biggest day of my life, and I can’t believe this is really happening.”

Albert, 23, only started playing football after he moved to Anne Arundel County from Rochester, N.Y., to live with his brother, Ashley Sims, a former defensive end at Maryland. Albert’s mother, Susan, sent her younger son to Maryland to get away from negative influences in New York.

“I don’t want to sound cocky, but I knew Branden was capable of big things at an early age,” said Sims, 35, a parole officer who lives in Edgewood. “He was so athletic in so many sports. He just did things normal ‘fat kids’ couldn’t do in sports. It just feel so good to see the guidance our mom and me provided has worked so well.”

Albert played offensive and defensive line at Glen Burnie, where he had 65 tackles playing for Coach Brad Wilson, who now coaches at Westminster. However, Albert had a greater reputation on the hardwood, where he averaged 15.5 points and 10.6 rebounds in leading the Gophers to the state semifinals in 2003 and 2004.

“I wanted to play against the best competition possible,” Albert said. “Going to Niagara would have been a nice opportunity, but I wanted the chance to dedicate myself to football.”

While defensive tackle Chris Long has garnered most of the headlines among Virginia’s draft-eligible players, arguably no one has had their value increase as rapidly as Albert, who declared for the draft in January with one year of eligibility remaining.

Albert played 35 games at guard for Virginia, but NFL evaluators began to notice him this season when he played two games at left tackle. In all, Albert has met with 10 teams in the last two weeks.

“[Albert] makes plays, finishes plays in space, he’s long, he’s athletic,” NFL Draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “He’s the kind of guy who down the road could be a left tackle. If so, his value will be higher. If somebody believes he’s a left tackle, he’ll be a Top 10 pick.”

Rudd couldn’t be happier for his former star player.

“I knew if Branden just put in the work he was going to go far,” Rudd said. “He is such a humble person, and he deserves everything good that comes his way.”

For Albert, both high school coaches remain special.

“Coach Rudd taught me how to win and how to be a team player,” he said. “Coach Wilson had faith in my abilities when I first started playing football and helped me excel on the field and find my confidence.”

rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

1:32 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 22, 2008 re: "NFL draft: Movin� on up?"

Reggie said:
Eddie Royal was actually timed at 4.22 in the 40 at Virginia Tech. That was after a high of 4.17 and a low of 4.25 were dropped in favor of the 4.22. I've seen the certificate of proof from the coaching staff.

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8:07 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 7, 2008 re: "Dickey: A super-sad day for Patriots"

Raidersfan since 67 said:
A pats loss is almost as sweet as a Raider win.

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10:48 AM MST on Wed., Feb. 6, 2008 re: "Dickey: A super-sad day for Patriots"

John, Lafayette said:
I think you nailed it with your description of the game and its aftermath....as good as I've read. I would love to watch a video of Montana's game against Philadelphia in '89...now that's a great quarterback!

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1:13 AM MST on Wed., Feb. 6, 2008 re: "Dickey: A super-sad day for Patriots"

Examiner Reader said:
U talk about Brady's team this year and how good the supporting cast was, how about the other teams they won with they weren't so good were they.On the other hand the 49ers didn't have the salary cap and could keep that team together.Which had some great players on all the SB teams not just one

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12:21 AM MST on Wed., Feb. 6, 2008 re: "Dickey: A super-sad day for Patriots"

Al Klumpp said:
Glenn: I think you're a little off base here. The problem wasn't Brady's inadequacies; it was the Giant's defensive ferocity which didn't allow the Patriots' offense to get untracked. Reminded me of the time the Giants and Lawrence Taylor killed the 49ers in a championship game, injuring Montana in the process. It didn't prove that Joe was any less of a quarterback; just that in that particular year the Giants were an immovable object. Joe and the 49ers returned to win more Super Bowls; the Patriots will probably do the same.

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7:04 PM MST on Tue., Feb. 5, 2008 re: "Dickey: A super-sad day for Patriots"

Examiner Reader said:
Sometimes it really about when you peak. The Patriots were clickingand peaked in the first half of the season. The second half, against NYG, Ravens, SD, you saw the cracks. NYG started slowly and peaked through the playoffs. The diff between Brady and Joe, mobility. That extra element would have made the difference. Glad to see you remember the Eagles game. Fantastic. Joe was sacked 8 (?) times and still made plays.

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4:29 PM MST on Tue., Jan. 15, 2008 re: "Dickey: Scheduling makes NFL playoffs unparalleled"

Examiner Reader said:
What do these comments below (made in june of last year) have to do with todays column?

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10:15 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 15, 2007 re: "Lending a helping hand to an NFL �brother� in need"

Examiner Reader said:
As a long time fan of the NFL, it saddens me to see how the maker's of the game are left behind. I, along with probably 1,000+ fans stood in line for hours to honor John Mackey at Martin's West in March of 2005. We all seem to forget that Mackey and hundreds like him made the NFL what it is today. John Unitas was a bitter man at the end of his career because the system in place would not work for disability issues tht all employee's of companies in this country are entitled to. God bless the Bruce Laird's of this world who say it's not right let's do the right thing and help each other... It's not about a Welfare System for retired players. The fact that it is a small step that the NFL has taken with the announcement of the new NFL Alliance. It is hundreds of retired players in need of assistance. Such a desperate cause is finally getting the attention it deserves...who would doubt that this outreach would start in Baltimore, the most storied francise in NFL history. Thank you

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4:09 PM MST on Wed., Jun. 13, 2007 re: "Coping with life after football"

Examiner Reader said:
I don't care what Congress has to say about this issues ... Congress once supported Black Slavery & getting FREE slave labor.

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1:51 PM MST on Wed., May. 23, 2007 re: "NFL's forgotten generation is hurting"

Kelly Ramsey said:
My father, Raymond L. Ramsey, "Rocket Ray", first played for three seasons in the old All-American Conference with the Chicago Rockets in 1947, Brooklyn in 1948 and the Chicago Hornets in 1949. He was with the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League for five seasons, through 1953, before that team moved to St. Louis. He then played for three years in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, finally retiring after the 1956 season. A long career of teaching and coaching followed, until that was interrupted by dementia. Around 1990, my father was diagnosed with dementia "of the Alzheimer's type." Since that time, the burden on our family has been tremendous, financially, physically, and mentally. After my mother passed away in 2002, it has been an everyday battle to provide for him. Today, we received word from the NFL that my father qualified and was approved for benefits under the new NFL 88 plan. All I can say is that this plan has saved my father and

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6:22 AM MST on Sun., May. 6, 2007 re: "Wilson always keeps his father close"

Examiner Reader said:
Josh wilson was not the highest ever drafted cornerback out of university of maryland. chad scott was selected in the first round with the 24th pick in 1997 to the pittsburgh steelers.

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11:11 AM MST on Mon., Apr. 30, 2007 re: "Former Gilman star Abiamiri, Terps� Wilson among area players taken"

Michael McLaughlin said:
In your article, "Former Gilman Star Abiamiri, Terps' Wison Among Area Players Taken," you state that Abiamiri was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. Wasn't he drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles?

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