Texans trade down, select Brown as 26th Pick
by Yolande Lezine
Forward Times Staff Writer

The Houston Texans traded down their number 18th pick to the Baltimore Ravens, in exchange for the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft and selected Virginia Tech offensive tackle Duane Brown.

The 6'4, 308 lb. tackle registered 71 knockdown blocks in his three seasons as an offensive tackle. He also recorded six tackles, 94 solos, and blocked three kicks on special teams.

“We’re excited about Duane,” Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said. “He fits what we want to do. I love his passion of how to play the game.”

“We’ll be calling on him to help us early and often.”

Brown, who was introduced to the Houston media Sunday afternoon, earned second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference recognition for the second-straight season and was a two-time state Offensive Lineman/End of the Year selection by the Richmond Touchdown Club.

In 2006, he was an All-ACC 2nd team selection. He received the team’s President’s Award as the most outstanding leader on offense during the offseason and spring.

“I love the fact that I will have the number one job of protecting the quarterback,” Duane Brown said via telephone following his selection. “I’m very excited about the challenge of going against some great athletes in the NFL.”

Brown’s initial reaction to being drafted by the Texans was a big surprise for him, but it’s one that brought a lot of joy to him and his family.

“Overall, we are all very excited,” Brown said. “I was a little bit surprised that the Texans drafted me because I really hadn’t had much contact with them since the combine. However, I am very happy to be selected by them and about reuniting with my former teammate Brandon Frye.”

As a redshirt-freshman, Brown played as a reserve tight end, seeing action in fourteen games. He caught three passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. He caught his first collegiate pass vs. Western Michigan, a 33-yarder from Sean Glennon that went for a touchdown.

DUANE BROWN - UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

Full Name: Duane Anthony Brown
Date of Birth: August 30, 1985.
Parents: Dennis & Myra Brown
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Age: 23
High School Attended: Hermitage High
School(Richmond,Va.)
Honors: Rated the 13th best prospect in Virginia by the Roanoke Times and Super Prep in high school; Ranked 49th among the nation’s tight ends by Rivals100.com; Rated 37th on Tom Lemming’s All-Mid Atlantic Team; Also lettered in basketball and track.
College Major: Apparel, Housing and Resource Management
Minor: Consumer Studies
One thing that people don’t know about me: I play the Saxaphone.

Brown and his family - father, Dennis, mother, Myra, and brother, Marlon

Houston’s Avery first receiver taken in Draft
by Yolande Lezine
Forward Times Staff Writer

Houston Cougars wide receiver Donnie Avery became the first receiver taken in the 2008 NFL Draft, being selected as the 33rd pick by the St. Louis Rams. He is the first Cougar football player to be taken by the Rams in 24 seasons.

“It was exciting,” Avery said from his Missouri City home.” “I was upstairs playing pool when I received a phone call from an unknown name. It was Rams coach Scott Linehan, and he said, “Well, what do you think?

Do you want to be a Ram or what?”

“I was like, You’re danged right!”

Avery got his first chance to impress scouts at the Senior Bowl. He had a great workout and he showed a lot of quickness. Size was an issue going into the draft, but their are other things that can be done to take advantage of his strengths.

Despite Avery’s 4.2 40 yard dash time, most draft experts didn’t have him projected among the top 10 receivers. He was ranked behind players such as: Limas Sweed (Texas), Malcolm Kelly(Oklahoma), DeSean Jackson(California), Mario Manningham(Michigan), James Hardy(Indiana), Devin Thomas(Michigan State), and Andre Caldwell(Florida).

Avery established career highs in receptions(91) and receiving yards(1,456) in 2007. He was a part of the 2-22 duo of him and former teammate Anthony Alridge at Houston.

DONNIE AVERY - UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Full Name: Donnie D. Avery
Age: 23
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Parents: Melonie and Dennis Robertson
Height: 5'11 Weight: 190
Date of Birth: June 12, 1984.
High School: Alief Hastings High School
College Major: Sports Administration

One thing that no one knows about Donnie: He loves to spend time with young children to talk with them about having goals and achieving them. Despite getting ready for the NFL Combine and the Draft, Donnie took time out of his schedule to visit with the kids from “A Fresh Start” Boys Group Home in Houston the week before the combine.

Sports Notebook
by Yolande Lezine
Forward Times Staff Writer

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair will become the first NFL owner to have three horses in three major races this weekend. They are Cowboy Cal, Raven's Pass, and Kentucky Star. Cowboy Cal is named after John Long, the son of a family friend, who passed away of lung cancer.

McNair and his wife established a Memorial Fund for John Long and earnings from the derby will be donated to the fund at M.D. Anderson Hospital. Raven's Pass will run in a derby in England, while Kentucky Star will race in the Kentucky Oaks. The McNair's, who recently received the "Outstanding Stable Award" , are the first owners to have three horses racing at one time in three major venues. All three horses are homebreds.

*Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib was the first player selected in the draft from the Big 12. He went in the 20th spot to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

*The USC Trojans had four players drafted in the first round of the 2008 draft, the most by any school. Three of the four picks were defensive. They include:

Sedrick Ellis-DT(New Orleans Saints), Keith Rivers-LB (Cincinnati Bengals), Sam Baker-OT (Atlanta Falcons), and Lawrence Jackson-DE (Seattle Seahawks).

*University of Houston wide receiver Donnie Avery was the first wide receiver and the first player from Conference USA to be selected in the NFL Draft. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams as the 33rd pick.

*Texas Longhorns wide receiver Limas Sweed becamae the first Longhorn to be drafted being taken as the 53rd pick in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

*Texas A & M tight end Martellus Bennett became the first Aggie to be drafted at number 61 in the second round and he won't have to go to far being selected by the Dallas Cowboys.

*Port Arthur native and former Longhorns running back Jamaal Charles slipped down into the third round and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs. He will be reunited with former teammate Derrick Johnson.

*Seven of the top ten picks in the 2008 NFL Draft were defensive positions.

*Port Arthur Memorial guard J'Covan Brown signed a national letter of intent to play basketball for the University of Texas.

*Former Houston Oilers and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair retired after a 13-year career last week.

*Kansas Jayhawks teammates Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers have all declared themselves eligible for the NBA draft.

*Prairie View A & M selected Fred Washington as its interim athletic director, effective May 1st.

*The Houston Comets welcomed WNBA President Donna Orender to the city last week. Orender met with the Comets team and coaching staff, then she addressed the media.

*The Houston Comets announced plans to encourage its fans to contribute to the Nothing But Nets campaign, created by the United Nations Foundation to prevent Malaria in Africa, during the team's July 24th "Comets Give Back".

*The Touchdown Club of Houston will have Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gunday speak at noon, Wednesday, April 30th, at the JW Marriott, 5150 Westheimer, at OSU Day, presented by CEP Sorbents.