The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Locals hope for shot at NFL
Thomas, Voytek hoping for that opportunity
Many view the NFL draft through the images of first-round picks from football factories making their way across the stage to exchange hugs with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
However, there are so many more compelling stories of prospects who believe they can cut it in the big time if only given a chance who don’t get their emotional moment shown during the three-day coverage of the NFL draft.
Twelve years ago six of the 26 first-team selections on the 2005 Register’s All-State football team would appear in regular season games in the NFL. In 2014, Fairfield County stars Khairi Fortt and Kevin Pierre-Louis were taken in the fourth round while Silas Redd made the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent. More recently, Stratford native Tyler Matakevich was a seventh-round pick who made 20 tackles as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fellow linebacker Don Cherry earned a spot on the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles after going undrafted.
When the final four rounds are held on Saturday, there will be some anxious moments for the latest batch of Connecticut natives eyeing a career in the NFL.
Norwalk native Noel Thomas hasn’t needed to look far for motivation as during the lead up to the NFL Scouting Combine and UConn’s pro day, he worked out with Matakevich.
“The first thing he asked me was how many formal meetings I had
the combine and me and him had the same amount, zero,” said Thomas, who set a UConn program record with 100 catches as a senior. We obviously met with teams but formal, he didn’t have any of them so look at him now. I met with all the teams, it is kind of just conversation, they are trying to see what kind of person you are, see if you can talk, see if you fit in with the team. All of them appreciate my hands and wanted to see me run.”
Now Thomas gets to see if he hears his name called as former Bunnell High and UConn receiver Marcus Easley did in 2010.
University of New Haven offensive tackle Zach Voytek not only played against Matakevich when Voytek was at Trumbull High and Matakevich was the resident superstar at city rival St. Joseph, but he was a classmate of Cherry’s.
“Knowing that they were able to make it to the next level was really motivating, really exciting to know that they made it and I can make it helps motivate me a little more,” Voytek said.
Madison’s Matt Walsh, who was a captain during his senior season as UConn, is on the radar of pro scouts and he has the added advantage of having played both fullback and linebacker at UConn. Danbury’ Austin Calitro, who like Cherry was a standout linebacker at Villanova, is another Connecticut native in the running to be signed as a free agent if he isn’t drafted.