A total of 24 veterans of Orange Bowl Committee hosted games, including two first round picks, were selected during the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Over the last 29 years, 163 veterans of games hosted by the Orange Bowl Committee have now been selected in the NFL Draft’s first round.
The University of Florida C Mike Pouncy was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 15th overall selection in the first round. Pouncy played in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game hosted by the Orange Bowl Committee at Sun Life Stadium, which will be his home stadium with the Dolphins. Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn, MVP of the 2010 Orange Bowl, was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 20th pick of the first round.
Clayborn was one of six Hawkeyes from that 2009-10 team selected in the draft. Pouncy was one of four Gators selected, including second round OT Marcus Gilbert by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gilbert joins Virginia Tech RB Ryan Williams, who played in the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl as one of two second-rounders to have appeared in games hosted by the Orange Bowl Committee. Williams was one of three Hokies selected. CB Rashad Carmichael and QB Tyrod Taylor, both veterans of three Orange Bowl games (2008, 2009 and 2011), were selected in the fourth and sixth rounds respectively.
Stanford, Virginia Tech’s opponent in the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl, had four players selected, headed by DT Sione Fua in the third round.
RB Anthony Allen, who appeared in the 2007 Orange Bowl with Louisville and the 2010 Orange Bowl after transferring to Georgia Tech, was also selected in the seventh round.
Additionally, the Orange Bowl’s partner, the Atlantic Coast Conference, had 15 of the first 60 players selected and a total of 35 overall. That makes it one of only two conferences (along with the SEC) to have had 30 or more players chosen in each of the past seven years of the NFL Draft. The 35 selected overall was second only to the SEC (38) among collegiate conferences.
The 2012 Discover Orange Bowl will be played the first week of January at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. For ticket information for the Discover Orange Bowl and all Orange Bowl Festival events, please contact 305-341-4701 or log on to www.orangebowl.org.
About the Orange Bowl Committee
The Orange Bowl Committee is a not-for-profit, 340-member, primarily-volunteer organization. It supports and produces activities and events that enhance the image, economy and culture of South Florida. The Orange Bowl Festival features a year-round schedule of events culminating with the Discover Orange Bowl in January 2012. Other OBC core events include the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance presented by Sports Authority, Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships, Orange Bowl Sailing Regatta Series and Orange Bowl Paddle Championships. For more information on the 2011-12 Orange Bowl Festival and its events, including promotional and volunteer opportunities through the Ambassador Program, log on to www.orangebowl.org.
The complete list of Orange Bowl Veterans in the 2011 NFL Draft:
Virginia Tech (2008, 2009 Orange Bowls, 2011 Discover Orange Bowl)
Name Pos. Team (Round)
Ryan Williams (2011 only) RB Arizona (2)
Rashad Carmichael CB Houston (4)
Tyrod Taylor QB Baltimore (6)
Stanford (2011 Discover Orange Bowl)
Sione Fua DT Carolina (3)
Owen Marecic FB Cleveland (4)
Richard Sherman CB Seattle (5)
Ryan Whalen WR Cincinnati (6)
Georgia Tech (2010 Orange Bowl)
*Anthony Allen RB Baltimore (7)
Iowa (2010 Orange Bowl)
Adrian Clayborn DE Tampa Bay (1)
Christian Ballard DE Minnesota (4)
Ricky Stanzi QB Kansas City (5)
Karl Klug DE Tennessee (5)
Julian Vandervelde OG Philadelphia (5)
Tyler Sash SS NY Giants (6)
Oklahoma (2009 BCS National Championship hosted by the Orange Bowl)
DeMarco Murray RB Dallas (3)
Quinton Carter FS Denver (4)
Jonathan Nelson FS St. Louis (7)
Jeremy Beal OLB Denver (7)
Florida (2009 BCS National Championship hosted by the Orange Bowl)
Mike Pouncy C Miami (1)
Marcus Gilbert OT Pittsburgh (2)
Ahmad Black SS Tampa Bay (5)
Maurice Hurt OG Washington (7)
Cincinnati (2009 Orange Bowl)
Jason Kelce C Philadelphia (6)
Louisville (2007 Orange Bowl)
Johnny Patrick CB New Orleans (3)
*Anthony Allen also played for Louisville in the 2007 Orange Bowl