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The Yale Alumni Magazine is owned and operated by Yale Alumni Publications, Inc., a nonprofit corporation independent of Yale University. The content of the magazine and its website is the responsibility of the editors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Yale or its officers. |
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NFL beckons for another Yale receiver April 25 was a fine day for Nate Lawrie '04 to get drafted by the National Football League. The second day of the draft coincided with Tang, the annual party sponsored by Lawrie's fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon. While students celebrated spring and beer in the DKE courtyard, Lawrie found himself in a TV room inside, where ESPN's live coverage of the draft was playing. In the sixth round, as the record-setting Yale tight end was sitting with his parents on the couch, surrounded by a clutch of frat brothers, teammates, and alumni, his cell phone rang. Everyone fell quiet. Then the onlookers heard Lawrie say, "Hey, Coach Gruden." "He asked if I'd like to come down and play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers," Lawrie says. "I was pretty giddy at the time." When Lawrie said, "Yeah, I'd love to be a Buc," the room broke out in cheers. After the Bucs named him their sixth-round pick, Lawrie spent 40 minutes on the phone with friends and family, then headed out to Tang. Last fall, Lawrie ascended to pro-prospect status by leading the Bulldogs with 72 catches, a school record for the position. He's also 6'-6" and weighs 266 pounds -- immense for an Ivy League tight end. Tampa Bay tight end coach Ron Middleton became a believer after watching tape of Lawrie in the Blue-Gray game, an annual showcase for college seniors with pro aspirations. "His blocking was outstanding," Middleton says. "That was the biggest question we had," since Lawrie primarily ran pass-catching routes in college. Lawrie follows former Yale wide receiver Eric Johnson '01 on the path to the pros. Johnson was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round in 2001 and started 24 of his first 28 games at tight end before an injury knocked him out for more than a season. Johnson expects to return this fall. "Eric's success certainly has turned some heads and helped the image of Ivy players," says Yale coach Jack Siedlecki. Ivy stars mostly had been ignored by the NFL in the decades after the league left Division I-A in 1982, but in the post-Eric Johnson era, pro scouts are again interested in Bulldogs; 30 of 32 NFL teams visited the staff this season. For Johnson, the toughest part of adjusting to the pros was speed. "It's a lot like going from high school to college," he says. Siedlecki says the same will hold for Lawrie: "He has all the physical attributes. Now everyone he lines up against has them too." The Bucs will likely cut two or three of the six tight ends on their roster before the season starts, so Lawrie must still prove himself. Middleton says one factor will be the ability to pitch in on special teams, a plus for Lawrie, who averaged 35 yards as Yale's punter last season. "Can you do it, or can't you? It's really cut and dried," says Middleton. "From what I've seen on tape and the things I've seen him do in mini-camp here, I think Nate's going to be fine." |
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