Northwestern University Athletics
Several Wildcats Waiting to Hear from NFL Teams
4/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 19, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Linebacker Napoleon Harris (Dixmoor, Ill./Thornton), a two-time All-Big Ten selection on defense, will find out Saturday which NFL team is most interested in his football talents when the NFL holds its annual draft in New York. He will watch the Draft with family and friends at a private reception at Northwestern's Nicolet Football Center.
Harris is being projected as a mid-to-late first-round draft pick. If he is selected in the opening round, Harris would be the first NU player to earn first-round draft status since Chris Hinton was selected by the Denver Broncos in 1983. Northwestern has had six players drafted in the NFL's first round: Otto Graham (1944), Vic Schwall (1947), Ron Burton (1960), Fate Echols (1962), Cas Banaszek (1967) and Hinton.
ESPN and ESPN2 will televise this weekend's draft. Check local listings for air time.
Northwestern has three additional players who are projected to hear their names called this weekend: running back Damien Anderson (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington) and linebackers Kevin Bentley (North Hills, Calif./Montclair Prep) and Billy Silva (San Diego, Calif./St. Augustine).
Other NU players who could get drafted or sign as free agents, include: quarterback Zak Kustok (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), offensive linemen Leon Brockmeier (Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln) and Mike Souza (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Punahou), wide receiver Sam Simmons (Kansas City, Kan./F.L. Schlagle), defensive end Salem Simon (Cleveland, Ohio/Benedictine) and punter J.J. Standring (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita).
