Northwestern University Athletics
Seven Wildcats Going To NFL Camps
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Seven players of the 1998 Northwestern Wildcat football team were either drafted or signed as free agents and will be attending NFL training camps.
Three NU players were drafted in the first four rounds. They were linebacker Barry Gardner (Philadelphia Eagles - second round), wide receiver D'Wayne Bates (Chicago Bears - third round), and running back Sean Bennett (New York Giants - fourth round).
Gardner's selection in the second round, the 35th pick overall, was the highest a Wildcat has been drafted since 1995 when Matt O'Dwyer was taken with the first pick of the second round, the 33rd selection, by the New York Jets.
Four other Wildcat players were signed to free agent contracts on Mon., April 19, the day following the draft. They were wide receiver John Burden (Carolina), placekicker Brian Gowins (Detroit), offensive lineman Bryan LaBelle (New Orleans), and cornerback Fred Wilkerson (Baltimore).
