Raiders pick Bilukidi in sixth round

First Panther ever selected in draft. His coaches say he’ll only get better as a professional.

In a historic moment for Georgia State sports, defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the NFL draft Saturday.

Bilukidi is the first player in the program’s short history to be chosen by a NFL team.

“It opens doors now,” he said. “Georgia State has a lot of athletes. Downtown Atlanta is a huge media market. It’s good that we are moving to FBS. It will open doors to athletes at Georgia State. It’s great for the community.”

Bilukidi had 89 tackles with 10 sacks in Georgia State’s two seasons. He was mentioned as perhaps a late-round selection leading to the draft. He worked out for or visited with more than a dozen teams, including Oakland. But he was mostly considered as a legitimate prospect for the Canadian Football League.

Bilukidi, along with his coaches, may have been one of the few who wasn’t surprised when the Raiders picked him at No. 189.

“I’m not surprised at all,” he said. “I worked hard for it.”

Georgia State coach Bill Curry said he wasn’t sur- prised that Bilukidi was selected. Curry said that he hasn’t been part of NFL evaluations, but he “recognizes a NFL player when I see one. “He did the job on the field and off the field.”

While making history is nice, being a footnote isn’t the goal. Bilukidi said playing in the NFL is the goal, and his coaches think he could become a solid performer.

Chris Ward, who coaches defensive tackles at Georgia State, said because of Bilukidi’s size (6-foot-5, 290 pounds), speed (4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and ability to change direction, he could become really good. “He hasn’t peaked yet,” Ward said. “You put him around other NFL players, and he’s only going to get better.”

Former Georgia State defensive coordinator John Thompson said he likes Bilukidi’s intelligence and ability to rush the passer. Like Ward, Thompson said Bilukidi is only going to get better and predicts he will have a long, productive career.

A native of Angola, Bilukidi lived in France and Brazil before his family moved to Canada. He speaks fluent French. He played one year of football in high school in Ontario, saying the NFL wasn’t a consideration then. He signed with Eastern Arizona Junior College and then with Georgia State. He said that he learned while playing under Curry, whom Bilukidi said was his inspiration, that he could compete on the highest level.