University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Three Pittsburgh Players Selected in 2003 National Football League Draft
4/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Three Pittsburgh Players Selected in 2003 National Football League Draft
4/28/2003
Torrie Cox is the first Pitt player taken by Tampa Bay since Hugh Green. |
Three University of Pittsburgh players were selected in the 2003 National Football League Draft held this past weekend. Linebacker Gerald Hayes was taken in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals, cornerback Torrie Cox was picked in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and offensive lineman Bryan Anderson was a seventh-round selection by the Chicago Bears.
The three selections match last year's total, when Antonio Bryant (Dallas Cowboys), Ramon Walker (Houston Texans) and Bryan Knight (Chicago Bears) were taken.
Hayes (Paterson, N.J./Passaic County Tech) is the first Pittsburgh player drafted by the Cardinals since offensive lineman Jeff Christy in 1992. A second-team All-American in 2002, Hayes finished his career with 402 tackles to rank fourth in school history. He is also the first three-time All-Big East linebacker ever at Pittsburgh.
The heart of the Panthers' formidable 2002 defense, Hayes closed his career in style with 11 tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage, in the Insight Bowl victory over Oregon State. His performance helped shutdown the Beavers' formidable rushing game ' it managed just eight yards on the night ' and earned him a spot on the Sports Illustrated 'All-Bowl Team.
Cox (Miami, Fla./Miami Northwestern) joins Tampa Bay after earning unanimous first-team All-Big East honors last year. He is the first Buccaneers draft pick out of Pitt since 1981 when the legendary Hugh Green was picked in the first round. Cox is also the first Panthers player to be selected by the defending Super Bowl champion since 1990 when center Dean Caliguire was picked by the San Francisco 49ers.
The fiery Cox was a standout both in the secondary and on special teams at Pittsburgh. He paced the team with 15 pass breakups last year and also ranked among the nation's leaders with a 23.0 kickoff return average. Cox was the Panthers' special teams MVP and captain his final three seasons.
Anderson (Philadelphia, Pa./John Bartram) is the second Pittsburgh player to be drafted by Chicago in as many years. Former teammate Bryan Knight was a reserve linebacker for the Bears as a rookie last season. A 2002 first-team All-Big East pick, Anderson was a four-year fixture at right guard. He led the team with 47 career starts during that span and never missed a contest (48 total games played). He was named Pittsburgh's Most Valuable Offensive Lineman as a senior.
