The first two rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft in New York City passed without a Texas A&M football player crossing the podium.
That changed Sunday when quarterback Stephen McGee and running back Michael Goodson were selected in the fourth round.
The Dallas Cowboys selected McGee with the 101st overall pick, first in the fourth round. Playing for the Cowboys was a lifelong dream for McGee, and he said there is nowhere else he’d rather play.
“In my mind there are the Dallas Cowboys and 31 other teams,” McGee said. “It’s a dream come true for a Texas kid like me.”
McGee will have the opportunity to learn from veterans and established players in Tony Romo and Jon Kitna in Dallas.
“Stephen McGee will be a great fit for the Cowboys,” A&M Head Coach Mike Sherman said. “He is very much in tune with what it means to be a Dallas Cowboy and I am confident he will surpass all expectations.”
Some analysts project McGee to be the quarterback to run the Cowboys’ Wildcat offense. In the Wildcat, the quarterback is more of a threat to run the ball as opposed to passing it, but McGee said he plans on being a drop-back quarterback.
“I don’t view myself as that good of an athlete,” McGee said. “I think I ran a good 40 time. I see a Wildcat guy as a tailback. The Cowboys guarantee they see me as a future quarterback dropping back and throwing passes.”
Draft experts projected McGee to be drafted in the second or third round, so waiting until the fourth round was difficult. McGee said he had left his house out of frustration before Dallas owner Jerry Jones made the call.
“At the time, I was pretty frustrated and disappointed,” McGee said. “I had expected to go in the third round. I had always viewed myself being a first round quarterback. There were some things that happened to me in my career that I couldn’t control, but I’m so excited to be in Dallas.”
Goodson went as the 111th overall pick and 11th in the fourth round to the Carolina Panthers, where he will play behind DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
“I can’t wait to get under those guys,” Goodson said. “I think I worked pretty hard in college, and coming in with some guys who I have heard of and know work real hard, I can’t wait to get under their wing and take in everything that they know.”
Goodson said that the Panthers coaches told him he will play running back for them, but they talked about the possibility of playing him as a slot receiver.
“I plan on being in the backfield, but anywhere they put me, I’m just ready to play,” Goodson said. “I can be a pretty good slot receiver, so wherever they throw me, I’m ready to play.”
Texas A&M defensive end Michael Bennett, punter Justin Brantly and full back Jorvorskie Lane went undrafted.