Most collegiate athletes go pro in something other than sports, a phrase coined by the NCAA that definitely rings true. On Saturday former Cedar Hill Longhorn football standout Dezmon Briscoe was drafted in the sixth round of the NFL draft. With the 191st overall pick the Cincinnati Bengals selected the wide receiver from the University of Kansas. While the Bengals have a strong defense and made the playoffs this past season their offense was sporadic. At times the passing game was nonexistent which led a first round oust by the New York Jets. Cincinnati ranked 25th in receptions, 24th in receiving yards, and 16th in receiving touchdowns in a league with 32 teams. Obviously those stats show the passing game was mediocre to below average at best last season. At times stats can be misleading but these point to an obvious need for more playmakers on the perimeter which is where Briscoe comes in.
During his career at the University of Kansas Briscoe tallied 219 receptions for 3,240 yards, and 31 touchdowns. One would think that a player with this type of production in a major conference such as the Big 12 wouldn’t last this long in the draft. Especially considering the fact he helped lead a traditionally dormant University of Kansas football program to prominence. So you still may be wondering why there was such a fall. Apparently the answer is work ethic and character questions. During Briscoes stay at Kansas he was suspended for the Spring of ‘09’ for undisclosed reasons by then head coach Mark Mangino who also held Briscoe out of the season opener. ESPN draft “expert” Mel Kiper Jr. says Briscoe could surprise. After being projected to be selected somewhere between the second and fourth rounds of the draft its no doubt Briscoe should have a chip on his shoulder. In 2006 Briscoe helped the Longhorns win a state championship and received three out of five star rating from Rivals.com and out performed numerous receivers ranked ahead of him. Looks like Mr. Briscoe will have a chance to do that again.
Comments