The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Seven Longhorns take part in NFL Scouting Combine
02.20.2008 | Football
AUSTIN, Texas -- Seven Longhorns will be on hand as over 300 former collegiate stars participate in the NFL Scouting Combine beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
Participating for the Longhorns will be RB Jamaal Charles, TE Jermichael Finley, S Marcus Griffin, OT Tony Hills, DT Frank Okam, WR Billy Pittman and WR Limas Sweed.
Top executives, coaching staffs, player personnel departments and medical personnel from all 32 teams will be on hand to evaluate the nation's top college football players eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft. The intense, four-day job interview is a vital step in as they prepare for the 2008 NFL Draft.
The seven players representing Texas are tied for the most of any Big 12 school along with Oklahoma and trail only USC (11), Virginia Tech (10), LSU (8) and Arkansas (8) nationally. Michigan also will have seven players, while Kansas, Nebraska and Texas A&M are all tied for third in the Big 12 with five each.
A Doak Walker Award semifinalist, Charles was a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection and rushed for 1,619 yards (No. 5 on the UT single-season list) and 18 TDs (T-No. No. 5 on UT single-season list) on 258 carries (6.2 ypc) in 2007. He also caught 17 passes for 199 yards to record 1,818 yards (No. 5 on the UT single-season list). Charles finished his career ranked fourth on the UT all-time rushing list with 3,328 yards, tied for fifth in rushing TDs (36) and ranked fourth in total TDs scored (39). He also caught 49 passes for 539 yards and three TDs to tally 3,867 yards (No. 6 on the UT all-time list) from scrimmage.
In 2007, Finley started all 13 games and caught 45 passes (No. 2 on the UT single-season list) for 575 yards (No. 3 on the UT single-season list) and two TDs. A 2006 Honorable Mention Freshman All-American, Finley set UT freshman records with 31 receptions for 372 yards and three TDs that year. For his career, he ranks third on the UT all-time tight end list in receptions (76) and sixth in receiving yards (947). He also caught five TD passes. He spent the 2005 season redshirting.
Griffin, who earned first-team All-Big 12 and second-team Academic All-Big 12 honors in 2007, played in 49 career games, starting 23, and posted 231 tackles, three TFL, a sack, five INTs, eight PBU, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He led the team in tackles (99) and INTs (five) in 2007 and also had five PBU, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Named first-team All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Hills had started 24 straight games and played in 42 career games before missing the last two of 2007 with an injury. He was a key cog and veteran leader on a young offensive line that paved the way for the Horns to average 462.0 yards of total offense (13th NCAA), 199.8 rushing yards (25th NCAA), 262.2 passing yards (36th NCAA) and 36.0 points per game (19th NCAA) until he was injured.
A third-team All-America selection in 2007, Okam finished his career with 160 tackles, 10 sacks, 28 TFL, 46 pressures, 12 PBD, a forced fumble and five fumble recoveries in 50 career games (39 starts). He posted career highs in 2007 with 52 tackles, five sacks, 11 TFL and 16 pressures in 2007 and anchored a UT defense that ranked eighth nationally in run defense (93.4 ypg) in 2007 and third (61.2 ypg) in 2006.
Pittman played 36 career games, starting 21, at wide receiver and was a two-time honorable mention All-Big 12 performer. He overcame a series of injuries during his first two years at UT to post 80 receptions for 1,283 yards (16.0 ypc) and nine TDs for his career. During Texas' National Championship run in 2005, Pittman caught 34 passes for 750 yards and five TDs.
Sweed, who was a two-time All-Big 12 selection, finished his career with 124 receptions (No. 6 on UT's all-time list) for 1,915 yards (No. 5 on UT's all-time list) and 20 TDs (No. 2 on UT's all-time list) in 43 games (39 straight starts). Despite being hampered by a wrist injury for most of the season, which eventually forced him to miss the last seven games, Sweed still managed to post 19 receptions for 306 yards and three TDs. In 2006, Sweed led the team with 46 catches for 801 yards and 12 TDs, which tied UT's single-season record.
