University of Colorado Athletics
Solder, Smith Drafted In First Round Of NFL Draft
Solder, 6-9 and 315-pounds, was selected by the New England Patriots with the No. 17 pick. Smith, 6-2, 205-pounds, was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 27 pick.
Solder is the highest pick for the Buffaloes since 1997 when OG Chris Naeole went No. 10 overall to New Orleans. He is the highest drafted offensive tackle since Stan Brock went No. 12 overall to New Orleans in 1980 and he is the fourth-highest drafted offensive lineman out of CU and the fifth offensive lineman taken in the first round.
Smith is the third CU cornerback taken in the first round and first since Deon Figures was selected No. 23 overall in 1993 by Pittsburgh. The highest was Mark Haynes, taken by the New York Giants in 1980.
With the new format of the draft, just the first round is complete as of Thursday. The second and third rounds will take place Friday with rounds 4-7 taking place Saturday.
Solder was the first offensive tackle to earn All-America honors at CU since Brock in 1979 and the first to earn consensus honors at the position for the Buffaloes. He played 2,540 out of 2,542 plays the last three years at tackle for the Buffaloes and the Buffaloes called 1,400 passing plays in that time and Solder gave up just three sacks. He allowed 21 pressures (14 as a sophomore), so in those 1,400 plays, the man he was blocked influenced the play just 26 times, or 1.8 percent.
Smith finished his CU career with 183 career tackles, ranking 77th all-time with his 16 pass deflections the 21st most in CU history. He allowed just 11 completions in man-to-man coverage over his junior and senior years combined and just one of those 11 were for a first down.
Solder is the 12th CU player taken in the draft by the Patriots and first since CB Terrence Wheatley went in the second round in 2007. Since 1995, the Patriots have now drafted seven former Buffaloes. He is the third first-round selection by the Patriots and second-highest, the others being C Pete Brock, who was the No. 12 overall pick in 1976, and TE Dan Graham, who was No. 21 in 2002.
The Patriots have had success with CU players on their roster, as on the 2001, GÇÖ03 and GÇÖ04 Super Bowl Champion teams, there were four Buffaloes on the roster each of those seasons.
Smith is the third draft choice by the Baltimore Ravens and first since TE Quinn Sypniewski was drafted in the fifth round, No. 166 overall, in 2006. He is the second defensive back taken by the Ravens joining FS Ryan Sutter, who was a fifth-round pick, No. 133, in 1998. He is the highest selection by the Ravens in CU history.
The duo is the 23rd and 24th first-round NFL draft picks from Colorado and itGÇÖs the eighth time in CU history the Buffs have had two first round picks, and first time since 1997 when offensive guard Chris Naeole was the No. 10 pick for New Orleans and wide receiver Rae Carruth was the No. 27 pick by Carolina. Only once have the Buffs had three first-round picks, in 1976. The list:
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1974 GÇô FB Bo Matthews (2nd, San Diego); TE J.V. Cain (7th, St. Louis)
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1976 GÇô C Pete Brock (12th, New England); DT Troy Archer (13th, N.Y. Giants); OT Mark Koncar (23rd; Green Bay)
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1980 GÇô CB Mark Haynes (8th, N.Y. Giants); OT Stan Brock (12th, New Orleans)
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1991 GÇô WR Mike Pritchard (13th, Atlanta); OLB Alfred Williams (18th, Cincinnati)
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1993 GÇô CB Deon Figures (23rd, Pittsburgh); DT Leonard Renfro (24th, Pittsburgh)
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1995 GÇô WR Michael Westbrook (4th, Washington); RB Rashaan Salaam (21st, Chicago)
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1997 GÇô OG Chris Naeole (10th, New Orleans); WR Rae Carruth (27th, Carolina)
They are the 258th and 259th players in CU history to be drafted into the NFL.=
The Buffs were one of just six teams with multiple first-round selections and the only team from what will become the Pac-12 conference next season. Alabama led the way with four first-round picks and the Buffs were joined by Auburn, Baylor, Missouri and Wisconsin with a pair of first-rounderGÇÖs.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS FIRST ROUND
DRAFT PICK (#17) NATE SOLDER CONFERENCE
CALL
April 28, 2010
Q: Where were you when you got the call that you had
been drafted?
NS:
In my parentsGÇÖ bed and breakfast in Leadville,
Colorado.
Q: Were you
surprised?
NS: I
was sitting there hoping and praying that they pick me because
that's such a great organization.
Q: How much contact did you have with
them?
NS: Fairly
limited contact.
Q: Did you come up here for a
visit?
NS: No, I
never came up for a visit.
Q: Can you explain how that unfolded, because I
believe you were scheduled to do so and then it got
cancelled?
NS: I
donGÇÖt know exactly what happened. I was scheduled to visit. The
minute before I left it was cancelled. That's all I
know.
Q: So you were on your way to the airport and you
turned back?
NS: It
was the day before I was going to go that they
cancelled.
Q: What was going through your mind as that was
happening?
NS:
There have been so many question marks going through my mind this
whole process that I didn't even think anything of
it.
Q: Did that happen with other
teams?
NS: No, it
did not.
Q: Did they come out to visit you at
all?
NS: Yes, they
did.
Q: When did that
happen?
NS:
Monday
Q: How did you miss two snaps in three years? What
happened?
NS: I
think that was an end of game situation. I think one of the backups
was in there just to kneel the ball.
Q: What did you say when he came out to say you were
going out?
NS: I
don't know. ItGÇÖs funny - when they told me I missed two snaps, I
had to think about what the heck happened because I couldn't
remember missing those two snaps.
Q: Is that a point of pride for
you?
NS: Well, IGÇÖm
extremely proud of my play and things, but itGÇÖs a lot of hard work,
too. Sometimes you don't control when freak things happen, so I've
been blessed as well.
Q: Are you comfortable playing on either side of the
offensive line? I know you're a converted tight end. Have you
played both sides of the line at tackle
yet?
NS: IGÇÖve never
played the right side. IGÇÖve always plays left
tackle.
Q: You mentioned on Monday the Patriots came out.
Who was it that came to see you?
NS: Coach Dante Scarnecchia.
Q: What was your impression of working with
him?
NS: HeGÇÖs an
unbelievable coach, one of the best in the NFL and that was
completely obvious when I met with him. And I look forward to the
opportunity to play with him.
Q: You say you really wanted to come here. Is part
of that the fact that they've had such offensive line success
here?
NS: All of
those guys do great and Scarnecchia is
an incredible coach and thatGÇÖs absolutely part of
it.
Q: What did he explain to you in terms of the
Patriots system and things that you'd have to work on if the
Patriots drafted you?
NS: You know, I have a lot to work on and the great
thing about that is that I'm a coachable player and Coach
Scarnecchia and Coach Belichick and the whole staff is great to play
for.
Q: How do you feel about potentially having to block
for potential future Hall of Famer Tom Brady on his
blindside?
NS: You
know, I think Tom Brady is a great quarterback and I think all my
teammates are great players and I'm looking forward to the
privilege of playing for the Patriots.
Q: What's your opinion of watching the Patriots
offense from games you've
watched?
NS: Like I
said, I think it's a fantastic organization. I like the way that
they do things and I'm honored that they picked
me.
Q: What's the name of the bed and
breakfast?
NS:
Peri and Ed's Mountain
Hideaway.
Q: Can you tell us about the
moment you got the phone call?
NS: I talked to Coach Belichick. He was congratulatory about bringing me
into the organization. I talked to Mr. Kraft as
well.
Q: Is there someone in the
league you model your game after?
NS: I just play my
game and IGÇÖm going to do what Coach Scarnecchia tells me to. ThatGÇÖs who IGÇÖm going to
model my game after.
Q: I hear you are a hunter and
you shot an elk once?
NS: Yes, thatGÇÖs
true.
Q: Have you shot anything
else?
NS: I shot an elk and I shot a deer
once.
Q: Which did you like better to
eat?
NS: Deer meat is the best. ItGÇÖs
funny that when you go hunting, you kind of get hungry, so I enjoy
both of them.
Q: WhatGÇÖs been the most
surprising part of the whole
process?
NS: I didnGÇÖt really know what to
expect to be honest. You know, how can you know? I just feel
blessed and honored to be a part of it.
Q: Can you talk about the
transition from tight end to
tackle?
NS: My coaches came to me and told
me IGÇÖd be an alright tight end, but a great tackle. ThatGÇÖs why I
chose to move to tackle. ItGÇÖs been a process. I have a lot to learn
and thatGÇÖs a great reason to have Belichick and Scarnecchia coaching me.
Q: Can you talk about the video
of you flattening that scout on your pro
day?
NS: I donGÇÖt know about grief. I
think they thought it was pretty cool. Matt Russell was the guy -
the scout was named Matt Russell. He was a guy that played at CU,
he was a Butkus award winner at CU and
he's around the program a lot, so he
kind of thought that was kind of comical, too.
Q: What was the workout with
Coach Scarnecchia like when he came out
to visit you?
NS: It was not really exhaustive.
But like I said, all the great things I heard about him were
confirmed. I could tell he was an absolutely great coach and I was
hoping and praying GÇô though I didnGÇÖt want to put in my mind to go
there, but IGÇÖm so honored to be there.
Q: When do you expect to arrive
in Foxborough?
NS: I donGÇÖt know what the travel
plans are going to be. ItGÇÖs going to be in the next few days I
would imagine, but weGÇÖll have to see how that pans
out.
Q: You participate in many
recreational sports. YouGÇÖre kind of like a New Englander
already.
NS: Well IGÇÖm coming to New England
to play football and thatGÇÖs my sole purpose right
now.
Q: What do you think about a potential positional
battle with Matt Light and Sebastian
Vollmer?
NS: I have all the respect in the
world for those guys. I know this: competition makes everyone
better, so thatGÇÖs going to be a great
opportunity.
Q: Is that something Dante
Scarnecchia imparted upon you GÇô that
nothing is going to be given to you,
youGÇÖre going to have to earn it?
NS: Well, that wasnGÇÖt specifically
said, but thatGÇÖs my mentality. I donGÇÖt want anything given to me. I
want to earn everything I get.
Q: Did you have an opportunity to
attend the draft in New York
City?
NS:
No, I stayed home with my family in
Colorado.
NFL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND PRESS CONFERENCE
GENERAL MANAGER/EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OZZIE NEWSOME, HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH,
DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL ERIC DECOSTA & DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING JOE HORTIZ
Ravens executive vice president/general
manager Ozzie NewsomeGÇÖs opening
statement:
GÇ£With the quarterbacks going early in the Draft, we started to
anticipate several players that had the potential of making it to
the 26th pick. There were not a lot of trades that occurred. I
think maybe three, four trades occurred before us. We were prepared
to pick, but we were also waiting to see if any calls came GÇô and a
call did come. John [Harbaugh] was on
the phone with the player we drafted, Jimmy Smith. John was on the
phone with him, and I was on the phone with another team in the
League. There was an agreement made between the team and
I. I got on the phone with the National
Football League, but the other team never got confirmation from the
League. At that point, I was asked by the League to make the pick.
We made the pick. ThereGÇÖs probably been about maybe six or seven
times that weGÇÖve had the opportunity to have a player that was
rated fairly high on our board that we were able to get down in the
20GÇÖs. ThatGÇÖs where Jimmy fits. I know youGÇÖll have a lot of
questions about him. We brought him in. We put him through a
process, even more so than we do with some of the other players,
and we came away feeling that he would be able to come here and
continue to be the type of player and person that heGÇÖs been for the
last couple years.GÇ¥
Ravens director of player personnel Eric
DeCostaGÇÖs opening
statement:
GÇ£We spent a lot of time looking at Jimmy. HeGÇÖs a guy that, as a
player GÇô we have a chance to watch a lot of corners every year GÇô
and heGÇÖs a very unique talent. WeGÇÖve tried to find a guy like him
for several years. He makes us a lot better as a football team. He
tackles well, heGÇÖs got great coverage skills, heGÇÖs a big kid, he
matches up very well against the receivers in our division, and
weGÇÖre very excited to get him. Sometimes you have to adjust on the
fly, and IGÇÖm proud of our guys. We were able to adjust throughout
the first round, and particularly at the end in a difficult
situation. We got a great player.GÇ¥
Ravens head coach John HarbaughGÇÖs opening
statement:
GÇ£To talk about Jimmy as a player, our coaching staff is
excited. This guy, heGÇÖs a special player. HeGÇÖs exactly the type of
corner that weGÇÖre looking for. He fits our defense just the way we
need him to fit our defense. I know Chuck [Pagano] is excited; Teryl Austin is excited; IGÇÖm excited. He was
in this building for a
day. He was in my office for almost two hours. He was in OzzieGÇÖs
office, EricGÇÖs, Joe [Hortiz]GÇÖs. We all
spent a great amount of time with him. All the things that youGÇÖre
going to ask questions about, thatGÇÖs all fine, thatGÇÖs good. But we
think heGÇÖs got a good heart. We think heGÇÖs very committed to being
a great football player, and weGÇÖre going to do everything we can to
help him be that. I want you to know, as a head football coach, IGÇÖm
excited about this pick. This guy makes us
better.GÇ¥
At what point were you comfortable with CB Jimmy Smith becoming a
Raven despite his character
issues?
(HARBAUGH) GÇ£When I talked
to him the second time. WeGÇÖve done so much homework.
Ozzie and Eric and Joe and their staffGǪ ItGÇÖs unbelievable the
homework [they do]. And what I like about Jimmy [is he] came right
out from the beginning and has been forthright with everything
thatGÇÖs happened to him. HeGÇÖs had a lot of situations. He didnGÇÖt try
to hide anything. He put it all out there for the whole world to
see. HeGÇÖs going to have to deal with that, and weGÇÖre going to have
to deal with that. ThatGÇÖs OK. This guy, I think, is a good person
at heart. HeGÇÖs a heck of a football player. We got a great locker
room for him, I think we have the right coaches for him, and he
makes our team better.GÇ¥
What was going on inside the War Room during the pick, and were
you poised when the clock was running
down?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£Yes, everyone was poised. Like I
said, I was on the phone with the other team, and John was on the
phone with Jimmy Smith. Once that agreement was made, then you have
to call the League. WeGÇÖve been in this situation before that when
you get close to the clock, in order for a trade to happen, both
teams have to talk to the League, and the other team did not get
the confirmation.GÇ¥
Was it your intention to trade down and still draft Smith with
a lower pick?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£When you trade down you donGÇÖt know
who is going to be there. When we were trading back several spots,
someone could have picked him between the time we would have gotten back on the clock. But, if
we would have gotten back on the clock and Jimmy wouldGÇÖve been
there, yes, we would have taken him.GÇ¥
How did you decide that Smith hasnGÇÖt had recent issues that
could be of concern?
(DeCOSTA) GÇ£I think weGÇÖve got the best area
scouts in the League, and their job is to do everything they can to
know all the players in the Draft. HeGÇÖs not the only player in this
Draft that has issues, certainly. We spent nine months really
looking at Jimmy Smith. HeGÇÖs one of the first players I looked at
this fall because heGÇÖs 6-2, 210 pounds. So, I went out to Colorado
early this year. We had two other area scouts go out there early.
We had two other scouts go in there after the fact. We had coaches
work him out; we talked to him at the Combine. We expressed our
interest in Jimmy, but we needed to get some information from Jimmy
as well. At the end of the day, we just had a comfort level with
the kid, both as a person and as a player. HeGÇÖs a good fit on our
team, on our defense, with Chuck coaching him [and] coach Austin coaching him. We think weGÇÖve got a
great locker room, and we think heGÇÖs going to be a guy that comes
in and flourishes in our system.GÇ¥
Was size the No. 1 factor for drafting
Smith?
(HARBAUGH) GÇ£I think what you do is you look at
the tape. Just the way he plays on tape attracted me. But, the size
is a big plus [and] the speed is a big plus. He doesnGÇÖt move like a
6-2 man; heGÇÖs rare that way. HeGÇÖs got special talents, and he plays
real hard. HeGÇÖs a good tackler. HeGÇÖs very physical. He plays the
ball well downfield. Those are all things you look for in a
corner.GÇ¥
Will having a strong veteran locker room help make the
transition to the NFL easier for
Smith?
(DeCOSTA) GÇ£WeGÇÖve seen it many times with our
guys. They come in here, and weGÇÖve got a great locker room, even
better coaches and a great system and structure in place. I think
heGÇÖs going to be great.GÇ¥
Do you see Smith as a risky
pick?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£As I said during the Draft
luncheon, every pick there is some bit of a gamble in it. But, we
trust our process. We trust the people that got the opportunity to
spend time with him, and there was a
number of people that had that opportunity to spend some time with
him. So, we trust the process, we trust the people that are in this
building that are going to be interacting with him on a day-to-day
basis, and we also got to know Jimmy GÇô what his aspirations [are]
and what he wants to do and what he wants to be. That kind of
matched up with what we thought.GÇ¥
Was there a threat of you losing Smith after the time ran out
on your pick?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£[Kansas City] got their pick in
before us, so that was a potential for us to lose him,
yes.GÇ¥
Did you save some money getting Smith with the 28th pick
instead of the 26th?
(NEWSOME) (laughter) GÇ£WeGÇÖll have to talk to the agent
about that when we get to that point. But we got the player, and
weGÇÖre just happy to have him. Whatever contract that we end up
signing with him will be compensatory to where he got
picked.GÇ¥
Were several teams talking with you about trading during your
time on the clock?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£Yeah, there was more than one
team. Yes, there was. Like I said, there is a value that we put
into trading back, and the other team did not meet the value that
we wanted for us to go back to that spot.GÇ¥
Was it important to not trade back too far in order to try to
still draft Smith?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£No. We werenGÇÖt looking at that
because I think weGÇÖve got a strong board. If weGÇÖd have lost Jimmy,
then we felt like there were other players on this boardGǪ There are
other players on this board that are going to be able to help this
football team that we will be able to
get.GÇ¥
Did anything happen in the first round that
changes how you look at the future
rounds?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£No, not
really, other than the quarterbacks going early.
And there was a lot
of speculation that that could happen. You could sit there, and
maybe we were thinking over the last three or four days that the
top of the second round would have been heavy with quarterbacks,
[which] could have pushed some other guys back down to us, but not
necessarily. We felt that those guys were going to go at some
point, so where weGÇÖre picking at 58, we think weGÇÖre going to get a
really good player.GÇ¥
Explain exactly what happened with the trade not going
through?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£IGÇÖm only able to talk to the
League. The number of trades that weGÇÖve made GÇô and this group knows
weGÇÖve made a lot of trades GÇô the only way the League will tell me,
GÇÿOK, youGÇÖve got a trade,GÇÖ is after they talked to the other team.
Then, theyGÇÖll [say], GÇÿOK, Ozzie, youGÇÖve got a trade. Baltimore, you
have a trade.GÇÖ That never came about. They told me, GÇÿOzzie, you
need to pick.GÇÖGÇ¥
Was the decision difficult because so many high-rated players
fell to the end of the first
round?
(DeCOSTA) GÇ£TheyGÇÖre all hard decisions, but
it was a hard decision. Sure, there were a lot of talented players
still on the board. In the end, we felt like Jimmy was the best fit
for us from a need perspective, certainly from a talent
perspective, overall. As I have said, I think he is a unique
talent, and he makes us a lot better as a football
player.GÇ¥
Comment on how you think the other AFC North teams did tonight,
specifically ClevelandGÇÖs trade with
Atlanta.
(NEWSOME) GÇ£They got the trade. They got a
trade similar to the trade that we got the year we got [Joe]
Flacco. They basically did the same
thing GÇô they came back up to get the big nose tackle [Phil Taylor].
In our division, youGÇÖve got to stop the run, so they probably saw
themselves doing that. I donGÇÖt know what Pittsburgh has done. A.J.
Green is a phenomenal player, a phenomenal player. But, weGÇÖre
fortunate enough to have a corner that we think is a phenomenal
player, too.GÇ¥
Are there any players you are considering trading up for
tomorrow?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£As the Draft unfolds tomorrow and
we have a high enough player graded, with the number of picks that
we have GÇô I think weGÇÖve still got eight picks and two of them we
canGÇÖt move GÇô then there is the potential to move up, but there is
the potential that we could move back and accumulate more picks
also.GÇ¥
Did you entertain any calls about moving up for
anyone?
(NEWSOME) GÇ£No. There were a couple players
that started to slide down the board that we talked about as a
group, but as we started to talk about them, they got
picked.GÇ¥
FIRST-ROUND PICK CB JIMMY SMITH: CONFERENCE CALL
On how he convinced the Ravens that his past mistakes will not
lead to future issues:
GÇ£It was just basically going in and being honest, putting
everything on the table and letting them know that I was about
business. The things that I did are old mistakes and bad decisions
that I made when I was younger and immature. ItGÇÖs in the past now,
and IGÇÖm just trying to be the best player and person off the field
for the Ravens that I can possibly be.GÇ¥
On what was going through his mind when the Ravens were on the
clock:
GÇ£They called me and told me that they were talking about me. I
didnGÇÖt want to get my hopes up because I was thinking worst-case
scenario [that IGÇÖd be selected] in the second round. When they
picked me, it was truly an honor and a blessing that they chose me
and believe in me.GÇ¥
On whether he felt like he made a good impression during his
meetings with the
organization:
GÇ£It was basically going in there and being yourself. I didnGÇÖt want to go in and try to say all
the right things. I wanted to go in and let them know [that] this
is really who I am, and as a person, this is how much IGÇÖve grown
and that the mistakes I did are behind me. I didnGÇÖt have to sell.
You just have to be honest, and they can tell youGÇÖre honest and
believe you.GÇ¥
On what mistakes he has made in the
past:
GÇ£I donGÇÖt really want to get into the specifics, but like I
said, itGÇÖs all past decisions and bad mistakes. They are done with
and over with GÇô a long time ago. IGÇÖm looking, from here on out, to
be the best player and person on and off the field that I can
be.GÇ¥
On when the last time was that he made a
mistake:
GÇ£ItGÇÖs been awhile GÇô over two years.GÇ¥
On how he will fit in with the RavensGÇÖ defense and whether he
expects to start
immediately:
GÇ£I donGÇÖt expect anything. I just expect to go out there and do
everything that they want me to do. If they need me to start, then
IGÇÖm going to start. If they need me to play special teams, then IGÇÖm
going to play special teams. Whatever they need, then thatGÇÖs what
IGÇÖm going to do.GÇ¥
On what he brings to the table as a football
player:
GÇ£I think I bring passion to the game and competitiveness. IGÇÖm a
very smart player. As for as cornerback, I have
size, I can tackle, and I can cover well. I think I bring a
lot to a defense. If they scheme around me and try to lock me up on
a man, I feel like IGÇÖm that guy who can lock up.GÇ¥
On whether he is excited to play with S Ed Reed and LB Ray
Lewis:
GÇ£IGÇÖm more excited about that than everything else, just to know
that I have basically three Hall of Famers playing defense and they
are going to be the guys to teach me how to be a better player. Who
else would you want to learn from than an Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and
Haloti Ngata? ItGÇÖs truly a blessing to have players like
that to be on the team with.GÇ¥
On whether he was disappointed to have fallen in the
Draft:
GÇ£I donGÇÖt think that I fell at all. I kind of figured that all
the stuff that happened in the past was going to mess with
everything. But I feel like everything happens for a reason and I
was destined to go to the Ravens. So, I guess thatGÇÖs the way things
worked out. IGÇÖm very happy with it and not disappointed by any
means.GÇ¥