ESPN.com Rates Saint Aug’s Sanders, Wells High On HBCU NFL Draft List
ESPN.com Rates Saint Aug’s Sanders, Wells High On HBCU NFL Draft List
Senior tailback Walter Sanders (Baltimore, Md.) and senior offensive guard Justin Wells (Baltimore, Md.) of Saint Augustine’s College are considered top NFL prospects from historically black colleges and universities according to a recent ESPN.com article.
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The story rates Sanders as the fourth-best HBCU running back, while Wells is ranked sixth among offensive linemen. Both players played key roles this season for the Falcons, who posted a 9-2 overall mark and captured the Pioneer Bowl championship in 2010. The nine wins were the most for the Falcons since at least 1934.
Sanders led the CIAA with 1,377 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning him league offensive player of the year honors and a spot on the All-CIAA first team. The nation’s fourth-ranked Division II rusher as a senior, Sanders is the Falcons’ career rushing leader (2,747) in the modern era.
Wells anchored the offensive line which helped Sanders become the league’s rushing king in 2010. The Falcons averaged 152.6 rushing yards per game and were second in the CIAA in time of possession (30:43). The Falcons relied on Sanders and the offensive line to churn yards and burn clock late in contests.
Both players were rated based on their performances during the season and the HBCU Classic All-Star Game which was held December 2010. The 2011 NFL Draft will be held April 28-30.
ESPN.com writer Donald Hunt, a columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune, wrote this about Sanders: “He’s one of the most explosive back in Division II. He has the speed to get to the edge. He does a good job of making people miss as well.”
Wells also received high praise from Hunt: “He’s a great run blocker. The Falcons’ offensive guard can really pull.”
To read the entire piece, click the following link: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6106068
The Falcons already have one player in the NFL. All-American defensive end Alex Hall was a seventh-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2008. He currently plays for the New York Giants.
Several HBCU alums played in Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, Texas. The Green Bay Packers’ Donald Driver and Nick Collins are from Alcorn State and Bethune-Cookman, respectively. Isaac Redman of the Pittsburgh Steelers is from Bowie State.
