Four Stanford football alumni made the jump to the NFL over the weekend, with nose tackle Sione Fua, fullback/linebacker Owen Marecic, cornerback Richard Sherman and wide receiver Ryan Whalen each getting the call during the 2011 NFL Draft in New York City. Fua was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the last pick in the third round, Marecic by the Cleveland Browns with the 27th pick in the fourth round, Sherman by the Seattle Seahawks with the 23rd pick of the fifth round and Whalen by the Cincinnati Bengals with the second pick of the sixth round.
It took until the final pick of day two, but Stanford football finally saw its first player picked in the 2011 NFL Draft with Fua. Marecic, Sherman and Whalen all got the call on the third day.
Fua was a cornerstone of the Cardinal’s hybrid 3-4 defense in 2010. He finished the season with 23 total tackles and 4.5 sacks, but his most valuable asset may have been his ability to take on double teams and allow his teammates to make plays. His play at the point of attack helped the team improve from 69th in the nation in scoring defense in 2009 to 10th in 2010, a big reason why Stanford went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl for the first time in school history.
Along with the compensatory pick they used to take Fua, the Panthers also took Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick and South Florida defensive tackle Terrell McClain with the first pick of the third round.
At 6-foot-1.5, Fua is considered to be on the short side for a defensive tackle, but his work ethic and speed were strong enough to get him picked in the third round.
As a rare two-way starter who regularly played offense and defense, Marecic played a unique role in Stanford’s recent resurgence. He finished 10th in Heisman Trophy balloting last season, when he served as a tri-captain and earned All-American honors as an all-purpose player. He was also an All-Pac-10 selection as a running back and an honorable mention as a linebacker.
Marecic also received the inaugural Paul Hornung Award in his senior season, which honors the most versatile player in college football. He finished fifth on the team with 51 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions as a linebacker and rushed 23 times for 46 yards and a career-high five touchdowns as a fullback. Though Marecic is capable of playing both positions, he entered the draft as a fullback, and it appears that the Browns plan to pair him with running back Peyton Hillis in their backfield.
Sherman also has experience on both sides of the ball. He switched from wide receiver to cornerback before the 2009 season, when he finished fourth on the team with 62 tackles and also had two interceptions, including one he returned 43 yards for a touchdown against USC. He earned Pac-10 honors in his senior season, notching 50 tackles and four interceptions as a left cornerback.
Rounding out Stanford’s draftees was Whalen, whose selection gave the Cardinal its highest number of draft selections since 2006, with four. As a tri-captain with Marecic and Fua last season, Whalen was an All-Pac-10 honorable mention with 39 receptions for 415 yards and two touchdowns, despite missing two games due to injury. Though Whalen joined the team as a walk-on in 2007, he finished his collegiate career with 138 receptions for 1,860 yards and seven touchdowns.
Seven former Stanford players went undrafted — linebacker Thomas Keiser, tackle Derek Hall, guard Andrew Phillips, center Chase Beeler, tight end Konrad Reuland, wide receiver Doug Baldwin and kicker Nate Whitaker. Each is now free to sign with any team that offers him a contract as an undrafted free agent.