VALDOSTA – The 2008 NFL Draft came and went, and despite much speculation, no Blazers were chosen. But it didn’t take long for a trio of Valdosta State football players to be called up to the next level.
Cornerback Maurice Leggett, offensive lineman Gerald Davis, and quarterback Willie Copeland have all been invited to NFL rookie mini-camps.
Leggett has already signed with the team that invited him to their camp, the Kansas City Chiefs. The five-foot-eleven, 188 pound cornerback was a big addition to an aging Chiefs secondary.
Last year Leggett was named to the All-Gulf South Conference first team after totaling 46 tackles, five interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns.
He also tied the school record for passes broken up with 15 in 2006.
Willie Copeland, Valdosta State’s signal caller for the past two seasons, is now on his way to New York.
After a lot of talk about getting drafted in the late rounds, Copeland had to wait until a phone call from the Miami Dolphins following the draft.
His stint as a Dolphin was short-lived though, as he was let go following mini-camp. But his road to the NFL lives on this weekend as Copeland travels north for the New York Giants rookie min-camp.
The Giants were one of the first teams to contact Copeland, and even invited him to their facilities prior to the draft. He will be competing with veterans David Carr, Anthony Wright and Jared Lorenz and rookie Andre Woodson for a spot on the team.
As a senior, Copeland threw for 3,160 yards and 28 touchdowns with a 63.6 completion percentage.
Even the Canadian Football League has called for Copeland. The Edmonton Eskimos, who are celebrating their 60th season this year, are also looking to add depth at the position.
Gerald Davis also got the call from the NFL, but Davis went down to the New Orleans Saints. Davis started in 36 of his 46 games as a Blazer, including all 14 of the 2007 season.
The Saints’ camp, which starts Friday, will feature their six draft picks, 16 rookie free agent signees and 36 other rookies invited to the camp.
Davis, along with Leggett, played in both of Valdosta State’s national championships.
Local Sports
Blazers try to move on to next level
- Local Sports
-
-
VSU teams hosting summer camps
The national champion Valdosta State softball team will host two separate summer camps this summer, as well as weekly clinics throughout the summer.
The two summer camps will be held on June 11-13 and July 9-11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The camps will cost $100 each. -
David Dean Youth Camp begins next week
The David Dean Youth Football Camp is quickly approaching.
The fourth annual camp will be held May 29-June 1 at the Athletic Fieldhouse off Mary Street. -
National champion head coach rewarded with new truck
National champion head coach rewarded with new truck Valdosta State head softball coach Thomas Macera was rewarded with a new Toyota Tacoma from Valdosta Toyota on Wednesday for his team’s 4-1 victory over the University of California-San Diego in the Division II Softball National Championship Game.
-
Valwood’s Savino, Elliott named All-State soccer
Two Valwood boys’ soccer players have been named to the GISA Class AA All-State team.
-
All-American again
Go ahead and add another award to resume of this year’s Valdosta State softball team.
Between conference player of the week awards, a national player of the week award, All-Conference and All-Region honors and four All-American awards, the national champion Blazers had plenty of individuals honored for performances throughout the season, which ultimately led to VSU’s first ever softball national title. -
Local area events coming soon
Several local area runs will take place in the coming weeks.
Monday, May 28, there will be a Memorial Day 5K, which will begin at 8 a.m. from the VECA School located on the corner of Azalea Drive and College Street. -
Tech bound
Donjahae Jones gets it done in the classroom and on the track.
One of the top students in her class, and one of the top track and field competitors in the state, Jones will be taking her talents to the Division I level after she signed a track and field scholarship with Georgia Tech on Tuesday. -
Blazers garner All-Region honors
Two Valdosta State baseball players have been named All-South Region while a third has garnered Academic All-Region, according to announcements made by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and the Collegiate Sports Information Director's of America (CoSIDA) this week.
-
Lowndes' Phelps named tennis Coach of the Year
Lowndes tennis coach Heath Phelps has been named the Region 1-AAAAA girls’ and boys’ tennis Coach of the Year, after he guided both teams to region championships.
-
Wildcats close spring practice
VALDOSTA — The Valdosta Wildcats put their finishing touches on spring practice Saturday night with the playing of their annual spring game at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
No score was kept in the game, but the Wildcats did play best-on-best, pitting the starting offense against the starting defense. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
VSU teams hosting summer camps
