STARKVILLE — Derek Sherrod had to wait until the final pick of the first round of the NFL Draft to hear is name called.
Boy was it worth it.
The former Mississippi State left tackle was taken by the Green Bay Packers with the 32nd pick Thursday night, ending a night of suspense when five tackles were taken ahead of him.
Sherrod, though, stayed calm through the entire draft party at the Fairfield Inn in Columbus, joking around with family and friends and remaining energetic throughout the night.
Then, while speculation from TV analysts suggested other directions the Packers would go with the final pick of the night, Sherrod”s phone rang.
“I never worked out with them, but I talked with them at the pro day and the combine just like I talked with everybody else,” Sherrod said. “They were good conversations, and I”m glad to be a Packer. It”s a very historic team and they”re legendary. I”m going to a very great team with a great coaching staff. They”re going to make the best out of me and I”m gonna go in there and do everything that I can to make sure they win another Super Bowl championship.”
Prior to the Thursday”s first round, Sherrod was anxious to go in the first round because of the family, friends and teammates that would attend his draft party.
Numerous mock drafts had Sherrod going to the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears or Philadelphia Eagles, all of whom had late-round picks. The Eagles took a guard, while the Bears took Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi.
Though he felt like he should have went higher, he said it was a positive sign that other tackles went off the board as the last three picks approached.
And he”s glad everyone got to celebrate with him.
“I”m not gonna lie, there were (nerves),” Sherrod said. “I understand what the draft is, and you have to be prepared for anything. You have to work for this opportunity and not everybody is granted this opportunity.”
Sherrod became the first Bulldog to be selected in the first round since Walt Harris and Eric Moulds were taken in the first round of the 1996 draft. He”s the 10th first-round pick in school history.
“This is a tremendous honor for Derek and a fitting culmination to an outstanding career,” said MSU head coach Dan Mullen. “Derek represents everything a student-athlete should be and was a tremendous leader for our football team. He”ll undoubtedly have a long NFL career and continue to make Bulldog fans proud for years to come.”
Sherrod was named to six all-American teams following the 2010 season and was an all-Southeastern Conference selection each of the past two years.
Sherrod led MSU to a 9-4 record, a national ranking and a 52-14 win over Michigan in the Gator Bowl.
Sherrod didn”t allow a sack during his senior season and helped MSU average over 220 rushing yards per game in each of the last two seasons.
“It means a lot to me,” Sherrod said, “Mississippi State, they have a lot of talent and it is a great football program. I”m glad to represent them in the NFL. I”ll think back and be thankful forever for the time that I had at Mississippi State. Im gonna work hard to make them proud.”
Sherrod said he wasn”t given an indication from Packers management about where he would play; he played both right and left tackle at the Senior Bowl and played right tackle as a freshman in 2007.
The Packers currently have veteran Chad Clifton at left tackle and last year”s first-round pick Bryan Bulaga at right tackle.
The Packers have invested two-straight first-round picks in offensive linemen to help address their 51-sack season in 2009.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is coming off a breakout season in which he was named Super Bowl MVP. Protecting their quarterback was obviously a priority for the Super Bowl champs.
Sherrod, however, will have to wait until the NFL labor dispute is settled before he knows when he can start working out with the team.
“I”ve never gotten the chance to watch a Packers game in person, but I”ve watched a lot on TV and I definitely watched the Super Bowl this past season,” he said. “They”re a great team with a lot of rich history. They”ve produced a lot of great teams and a lot of great championships.”
Sherrod”s brother Dezmond, a former Mississippi State tight end, won a Super Bowl ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers and also won a UFL title with the Las Vegas Locomotives.
“I”m definitely gonna put in a good word for him,” Sherrod said.
Sherrod was one of 16 players across all divisions of college football named a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete and a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. He graduated from Mississippi State in 2010 with honors, and began work on his master”s in sports administration last fall.
Sherrod hopes to see teammates KJ Wright, Pernell McPhee and Chris White selected in the next six rounds, which are spread out through today and Saturday.
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