Toledo, OH - Former Rockets John Greco and Jalen Parmele were both selected in the NFL Draft in the second day of the draft on Sunday. Immediately at the conclusion of the draft, former Rocket punter Brett Kern was signed to a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos.
It is the first time that two Rockets were taken in the NFL Draft since Darren Anderson and Vince Marrow were picked in the fourth and 11th rounds, respectively, in the 1992 draft.
Greco, an offensive lineman was selected as the second pick of the third round by the St. Louis Rams. He was the 65th pick overall, the highest Rocket draft pick since Dan Williams was taken as the 11th overall pick of the 1993 Draft by the Denver Broncos. Parmele was taken by the Miami Dolphins as the 10th pick of the sixth round, the 176th overall selection.
Greco, who watched the draft from his home in Youngstown, OH, was a three-time, first-team All-MAC selection as the Rockets' left tackle. As a senior, he was named third-team All-America by Phil Steele Magazine and by Rivals.com, and was invited to play in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 19.
"I was a little surprised to be picked so early but my agent told me to be ready early on Sunday," said Greco. "I was extremely excited to be picked by St. Louis. I think it's a good situation for me. I am excited to be playing for the Rams." Greco will report to Rams' mini-camp on May 8.
Greco started 49 consecutive games in his career, which accounts for every UT game over past four seasons, including 36 straight at left tackle. As a sophomore, he took over the left tackle spot vacated by Nick Kaczur, now the starting right tackle for the New England Patriots..
Greco was the undisputed leader of an offensive line that allowed just 16 sacks, tied for 21st best in the nation and third in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo’s offense also ranked No. 2 in scoring (32.9), No. 1 in total offense (448.4) and No. 1 in rushing (209.2) in the MAC.
Parmele, from Midland, MI, is the first UT running back taken in the draft since Chester Taylor was picked in the sixth round by Baltimore in 2002. He was named first-team All-MAC in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, Parmele finished third in balloting for MAC Offensive Player of the Year. He was ninth in the nation and second in the MAC in rushing with 1,511 yards and added 14 rushing TDs. His 1,511 yards rushing in 2007 was the fourth-highest mark in UT history. He finished his career in fourth place on UT’s career rushing list with 3,119 yards. Taylor is the Rockets' all-time leader with 4,849 yards. He caught the eye of many NFL scouts when he rushed for a game-high 46 yards in the Hula Bowl on Jan. 12.
Parmele is the first UT running back taken in the draft since Chester Taylor was picked in the sixth round by Baltimore in 2002. He was named first-team All-MAC in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, Parmele finished third in balloting for MAC Offensive Player of the Year. He was ninth in nation and second in MAC in rushing with 1,511 yards and added 14 rushing TDs. His 1,511 yards rushing in 2007 was the fourth-highest mark in UT history. He finished his career in fourth place on UT’s career rushing list with 3,119 yards. Taylor is the Rockets' all-time leader with 4,849 yards. He caught the eye of many NFL scouts when he rushed for a game-high 46 yards in the Hula Bowl on Jan. 12.
Kern, the first punter in UT history to be drafted, finished the season ranked second in the nation in punting average (46.1). His punting average in 2007 ranks as the best in UT history, shattering the previous record of 43.5 by Brandon Hannum in 2003. Kern was one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation's top punter. Kern was named third-team All-America by both the Associated Press and Rivals.com. He also was voted the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year and earned second-team All-MAC honors. Kern impressed scouts with strong showings in the Hula Bowl on Jan. 12 and the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 19.
An excellent student, Kern earned second-team Academic All-District by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) with a 3.38 grade point average in geography. He was a finalist for the Draddy Award given to the student-athlete with the best mix of academic and athletic achievement.
Recent Rockets Taken in NFL Draft
2008 John Greco, OL, St. Louis 3rd (65th); Jalen Parmele, RB, Miami 6th (176)
2006 Bruce Gradkowski, QB Tampa Bay 6th (194th)
2005 Nick Kaczur, OL New England 3rd (100th)
2003 Carl Ford, WR Green Bay 7th (256th)
2002 Chester Taylor, RB Baltimore 6th (207th)
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