fury900
04-29-2012, 04:20 PM
http://www.acusports.com/news/2012/4/28/FB_0428122844.aspx
NEW YORK -- It would be remarkable for one family to turn out one player who would one day reach the NFL, much less two or three.
How about four?
That's the count for the Gates-Scott-Richardson-Whiteside family in Vernon after former ACU running back Daryl Richardson was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the NFL Draft on Saturday and his cousin, former Wildcat defensive end, Aston Whiteside, signed a free-agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys shortly after the end of the draft.
Late Saturday evening, former ACU offensive tackle Neal Tivis was invited to the Cowboys' three-day free-agent minicamp this weekend at Valley Ranch. On Sunday, the Washington Redskins extended the same invitation to tight end Ben Gibbs, who will be with the Redskins this weekend for their free agent tryout camp.
Scott Casterline -- the agent to both Richardson and Whiteside -- said the Cowboys would probably end up playing Whiteside at inside linebacker, and at that position he would have a good chance to make the final 53-man squad.
Saturday's action gives the family four players in the NFL with Bernard Scott (Cincinnati running back) and Clyde Gates (Miami wide receiver) already in the league. Scott is Richardson's older brother and a cousin to both Gates and Whiteside. Gates, meanwhile, is a cousin of Whiteside's.
Richardson spent draft weekend in Vernon where most of his family resides, and he said it seemed like they were all together Saturday afternoon when his name flashed across the television screen as the 252nd (and next-to-last) pick in the draft.
"It was crazy," Richardson said. "It's very exciting here right now. This is like a dream come true. It's just a belessing from God ... another blessing.
Richardson said he and the Rams had been in constanct contact over the last couple of weeks, but that it picked up even more in the last few days.
"I've had a lot of contact with the Rams," Richardson said. "They called me yesterday during the second round and told me to be thinking of the Rams because they were thinking of me."
The Rams selected former Cincinnati running back Isaiah Reed with their second pick of the second round on Friday as they begin to look for a replacement for veteran back Steven Jackson. Richardson, though, said he was told that the competition would be open this summer at training camp.
"The running backs coach (Ben Sirmans) told me to be ready to come in and compete because they've got spots open," Richardson said. "I'm going to go in there and work hard. I'm just excited to have this chance. It's something I've always wanted to do, and now I've got my chance."
Whiteside is in a similar situation with the Cowboys where Sean Lee and Bruce Carter are the only inside linebackers on the active roster after the team released Bradie James and Keith Brooking.
At the ACU Pro Day on April 3, Whiteside worked out at defensive end, defensive tackle, outside linebacker, tight end and fullback and told every scout there that he would play anywhere they wanted him to play as long as he got a chance to play.
He spent the last three days watching the draft and thought he might be going to San Francisco after a call from the 49ers late Saturday. But after the team didn't take him in the seventh round, Whiteside walked outside and missed Richardson being drafted by the Rams. Shortly after that, though, he had a call from the Cowboys to talk about a free-agent deal.
"I told them I'll play any position they want me to play: linebacker, defensive end, tight end, fullback ... whatever," Whiteside said. "They told me I'm going into a situation where I have a great chance to make the team. I told them all I needed was that chance."
OTHER NFL DRAFT NOTES
Former standout Midwestern State offensive tackle Amini Silatolu was drafted in the second round (40th overall selection) by the Carolina Panthers. ... One pick before Silatolu was picked by the Panthers, the Rams selected former North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who scooped a fourth-quarter fumble on Sept. 16 and returned it for a touchdown in the Lion's 23-16 win over ACU at Cowboys Stadium. ... With Richardson and Whiteside joining the Rams and Cowboys, respectively, ACU will have eight former players in NFL training camps this summer:
DB Danieal Manning (Houston Texans)
RB Bernard Scott (Cincinnati Bengals)
WR Johnny Knox (Chicago Bears)
WR Clyde Gates (Miami Dolphins)
OT Trevis Turner (Pittsburgh Steelers)
WR Raymond Radway (Dallas Cowboys)
RB Daryl Richardson (St. Louis Rams)
LB Aston Whiteside (Dallas Cowboys)
NEW YORK -- It would be remarkable for one family to turn out one player who would one day reach the NFL, much less two or three.
How about four?
That's the count for the Gates-Scott-Richardson-Whiteside family in Vernon after former ACU running back Daryl Richardson was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the NFL Draft on Saturday and his cousin, former Wildcat defensive end, Aston Whiteside, signed a free-agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys shortly after the end of the draft.
Late Saturday evening, former ACU offensive tackle Neal Tivis was invited to the Cowboys' three-day free-agent minicamp this weekend at Valley Ranch. On Sunday, the Washington Redskins extended the same invitation to tight end Ben Gibbs, who will be with the Redskins this weekend for their free agent tryout camp.
Scott Casterline -- the agent to both Richardson and Whiteside -- said the Cowboys would probably end up playing Whiteside at inside linebacker, and at that position he would have a good chance to make the final 53-man squad.
Saturday's action gives the family four players in the NFL with Bernard Scott (Cincinnati running back) and Clyde Gates (Miami wide receiver) already in the league. Scott is Richardson's older brother and a cousin to both Gates and Whiteside. Gates, meanwhile, is a cousin of Whiteside's.
Richardson spent draft weekend in Vernon where most of his family resides, and he said it seemed like they were all together Saturday afternoon when his name flashed across the television screen as the 252nd (and next-to-last) pick in the draft.
"It was crazy," Richardson said. "It's very exciting here right now. This is like a dream come true. It's just a belessing from God ... another blessing.
Richardson said he and the Rams had been in constanct contact over the last couple of weeks, but that it picked up even more in the last few days.
"I've had a lot of contact with the Rams," Richardson said. "They called me yesterday during the second round and told me to be thinking of the Rams because they were thinking of me."
The Rams selected former Cincinnati running back Isaiah Reed with their second pick of the second round on Friday as they begin to look for a replacement for veteran back Steven Jackson. Richardson, though, said he was told that the competition would be open this summer at training camp.
"The running backs coach (Ben Sirmans) told me to be ready to come in and compete because they've got spots open," Richardson said. "I'm going to go in there and work hard. I'm just excited to have this chance. It's something I've always wanted to do, and now I've got my chance."
Whiteside is in a similar situation with the Cowboys where Sean Lee and Bruce Carter are the only inside linebackers on the active roster after the team released Bradie James and Keith Brooking.
At the ACU Pro Day on April 3, Whiteside worked out at defensive end, defensive tackle, outside linebacker, tight end and fullback and told every scout there that he would play anywhere they wanted him to play as long as he got a chance to play.
He spent the last three days watching the draft and thought he might be going to San Francisco after a call from the 49ers late Saturday. But after the team didn't take him in the seventh round, Whiteside walked outside and missed Richardson being drafted by the Rams. Shortly after that, though, he had a call from the Cowboys to talk about a free-agent deal.
"I told them I'll play any position they want me to play: linebacker, defensive end, tight end, fullback ... whatever," Whiteside said. "They told me I'm going into a situation where I have a great chance to make the team. I told them all I needed was that chance."
OTHER NFL DRAFT NOTES
Former standout Midwestern State offensive tackle Amini Silatolu was drafted in the second round (40th overall selection) by the Carolina Panthers. ... One pick before Silatolu was picked by the Panthers, the Rams selected former North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who scooped a fourth-quarter fumble on Sept. 16 and returned it for a touchdown in the Lion's 23-16 win over ACU at Cowboys Stadium. ... With Richardson and Whiteside joining the Rams and Cowboys, respectively, ACU will have eight former players in NFL training camps this summer:
DB Danieal Manning (Houston Texans)
RB Bernard Scott (Cincinnati Bengals)
WR Johnny Knox (Chicago Bears)
WR Clyde Gates (Miami Dolphins)
OT Trevis Turner (Pittsburgh Steelers)
WR Raymond Radway (Dallas Cowboys)
RB Daryl Richardson (St. Louis Rams)
LB Aston Whiteside (Dallas Cowboys)