The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Muckelroy selected 131st overall by Cincinnati Bengals
04.24.2010 | Football
April 24, 2010
What they're saying
Texas LB Roddrick Muckelroy was selected 131st overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft on Saturday.
"I'm feeling good to be a Bengal," Muckelroy said. "It's been a long process, a long draft, so I'm glad to be on somebody's team. I'm a player that's going to give it 100 percent every play. I'm not just a two-down backer, I can play all three downs. I don't like coming off the field, so I'm going to bring that same attitude with me to Cincinnati and just put it on film. "
The pick ties the UT record for selections in the first four rounds with six, which was set 1984.
"Roddrick Muckelroy is one of the reasons that we were 25-2 over the last two years," head coach Mack Brown said. "He's tough, he's smart, he stayed healthy, he would knock people out, he has really good instincts and he's a guy that will make a team in the NFL and play for a lot of years in our estimation."
Brown has now coached 61 draft picks in the last 13 years, and 48 of them have been chosen in the first four rounds. Texas has also had at least six players chosen in the draft in three of the last five years.
"Muck is a throwback type of player," defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said. "He works awful hard, brings his hardhat to work every day. He's instinctive, tough. He has the intangibles that you look for in a football player. That's what they look for in the NFL, a guy that's going to put in a good day's work. He was a very productive player here at Texas."
Muckelroy becomes the second Longhorn drafted by Cincinnati in this year's draft with WR Jordan Shipley. Prior to that, S Lance Gunn was the last Texas player chosen by the Bengals (seventh round, 1993). Overall, eight Longhorns have been drafted by Cincinnati in its history. Muckelroy will join Shipley, WR Quan Cosby and RB Cedric Benson as current Longhorns on the Bengals' roster.
"Me and Jordan, we've been together for the last five years," Muckelroy said. "We're close friends, we always talk and I'm pretty sure I'll reach out to him in a little bit."
"I think Roddrick is one of the best defensive players I've ever played with," Shipley said. "I think it's going to be really fun to have him around. He's a great guy. That will be great for us to get to play together again and we'll have a whole lot of fun up there. It will be nice to have some familiar faces."
Muckelroy played in 41 career games, making 30 starts and was a two-time All-Big 12 selection. He posted 291 tackles (177 solo), 5.5 sacks, 24 TFL, 15 pressures, two INTs, nine PBU, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including a 26-yard TD return, during his career, including eleven 10-tackle games.
In 2009, he started 13 games and was a second-team All-Big 12 selection. He led the team with 102 tackles (58 solo) to go along with two sacks, 11 TFL, an INT, nine pressures and five PBU. He also started all 13 games in 2008 and was tabbed second-team All-Big 12. He led the team with 112 tackles (71 solo) to go along with four TFL, six pressures, four PBU, a forced fumble and a fumble return for a TD.
