WR Jeudy keeps promise to sister
Jerry Jeudy made a promise when his younger sister, Aaliyah, died in November 2016.
“I swear I’m going to make it for you and mommy,” he tweeted, with a picture of his late sister, who was 7 years old at the time and had health complications since birth.
Jeudy delivered on that promise. On Thursday night, the Alabama wide receiver became a firstround pick in the NFL draft, going to Denver with the No. 15 pick.
He was the second wideout taken, selected after his Crimson Tide teammate Henry Ruggs III, who went to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 12.
“When I was younger, (I told my family) that I’m going to be an NFL player and that, one day, I’ll be able to take care of them,” Jeudy said this week on ESPN’s NFL Live. “Now I finally got the opportunity to do so, it just shows them how serious I am about them and how much I care and love for them.”
Jeudy, a product of Florida’s Deerfield Beach High School, found out about his sister’s death after a regional final playoff victory over Atlantic in his senior season with the Bucks. Jeudy played his final high school game the ensuing Friday night in a state semifinal loss, and he pushed to get to this point over three seasons with the Crimson Tide, winning the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top receiver in 2018 as a sophomore.
McShay sits out because of virus
One big part of ESPN’s NFL draft coverage was missing when the first round began Thursday night.
Todd McShay announced Thursday afternoon that he’s “home recovering from coronavirus” and wouldn’t be analyzing players alongside Mel Kiper Jr. as the NFL’s 32 teams made their picks.
“For now, I just want to say I miss you all — my teammates at ESPN who have been incredibly supportive, my friends in the league and the fans who have made the Draft what it is today,” he tweeted.
“I also want to assure I’ll be back, thanks to the tireless work of healthcare workers and first responders. You are truly our nation’s heroes.”
McShay, 43, has been a college football and NFL draft analyst for ESPN since 2006.
TCU WR Reagor, CB Gladney taken
TCU had a pair of players taken in the first round when wide receiver Jalen Reagor was picked 21st by the Philadelphia Eagles and cornerback Jeff Gladney was selected 31st by the Minnesota Vikings.
The 5-10, 206-pound Reagor averaged 14.2 yards on 43 receptions and had five touchdowns last season. The Waxahachie native also returned two punts for scores.
Reagor is the son of Montae Reagor, a defensive lineman who played nine seasons in the NFL, including seven games with the Eagles in 2007.
Gladney, a four-year starter at TCU, was an All-Big 12 first-team selection in 2019, finishing the season with 14 pass breakups and one interception.