04-26-2004, 09:32 PM
RUSTON - Former Louisiana Tech standouts Luke McCown and Josh Scobee didn't have to wait long on Sunday - the second day of the NFL Draft - to get that all-important phone call.
McCown was taken with the fourth pick in the fourth round - No. 106 overall by the Cleveland Browns. Scobee was selected with the fifth pick in the fifth round - No. 137 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
McCown, a four-year starter at QB for the Bulldogs is one of two currently active LA Tech signal-callers in the NFL. Former Tech QB Tim Rattay is the starter for the San Francisco 49ers, while Luke's brother Josh McCown is the starter at Arizona.
Cleveland Browns coach Butch Davis has had his eye on the 6-4, 209-pounder since he was a senior at Jacksonville (Texas) High School.
Davis, then the coach at Miami-Florida, recruited McCown to be a Hurricane but McCown instead chose Louisiana Tech. Then as a true freshman, McCown had a memorable performance against Davis' Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl, throwing for 418 yards and setting the NCAA freshman record with 72 attempts. Heavily favored Miami hung on to take a 42-31 win.
Davis said. "(When we drafted him) I saw the stat come up on the screen that said he threw for 12,000 yards in college. I thought he got all 12,000 that night in Miami."
It was one of many memorable performances by McCown against BCS conference schools. During his career he led Tech to upset wins over Oklahoma State and Michigan State, while throwing for 433 yards and four touchdowns against Auburn in 2001 in a 48-41 overtime loss, and 406 yards and one touchdown against Penn State in '02.
"This is a young man who played a lot of football at Louisiana Tech," NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. "He played against (some of the top teams in college football) and talent-wise (Tech) was overmatched against the big-time teams, thus McCown was forced to try to do too much."
McCown started 43 consecutive games at Tech and became the NCAA's No. 4 all-time leader in passing yards (12,666) and ninth all-time leader in touchdown passes (87). This past season he threw for 3,246 yards and 19 touchdowns.
"(Playing for Davis) is something that I've thought about since Coach Davis left Miami and went to the Browns," McCown said. "I knew it could be a possibility. I remember talking to him and shaking his hand after the game my true freshman year and that's always been in the back of my mind."
McCown joins a team with three quarterbacks on the roster in starter Jeff Garcia and backups Kelly Holcomb and Tim Couch. However, the Browns have been actively trying to move Couch during the off-season and it is highly likely he will be on another team by the time training camp opens this summer.
Coincidentally, McCown will be the second Louisiana Tech quarterback to learn behind Garcia, who was acquired as a free agent recently. Rattay served in a backup role to Garcia as a second or third-stringer in each of the last four seasons.
"He can make the toughest throw in football for a quarterback and did many times in college," Kiper said. "He needs to get bigger and stronger to handle the punishment of the NFL. He'll have two or three years to develop; he's not expected to contribute immediately."
Scobee, Tech's all-time leading scorer, wasn't sure whether he would get drafted or not, even though he was rated by most scouting services as the No. 2 kicker behind Iowa's Nate Kaeding, a third-round pick by San Diego. He was ecstatic when Jacksonville decided to make a move in the fifth round.
Like McCown, Scobee was a four-year starter, connecting on 66-of-92 career field goals, including six from 50-plus yards.
"The feeling was that this was the second-best kicker in a limited draft and we had a need at the position," said Jacksonville general manager James "Shack" Harris, a former Carroll High School and Grambling State standout at quarterback. "We thought he was the best selection for us. Josh Scobee has a very strong leg. He has a good upsize. I like his toughness."
Scobee connected on 21-of-31 field goals as a senior and also had 40 of 60 kickoffs that were not returned. He joins a Jaguars team that had arguably the NFL's worst kicking situation a year ago.
McCown was taken with the fourth pick in the fourth round - No. 106 overall by the Cleveland Browns. Scobee was selected with the fifth pick in the fifth round - No. 137 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
McCown, a four-year starter at QB for the Bulldogs is one of two currently active LA Tech signal-callers in the NFL. Former Tech QB Tim Rattay is the starter for the San Francisco 49ers, while Luke's brother Josh McCown is the starter at Arizona.
Cleveland Browns coach Butch Davis has had his eye on the 6-4, 209-pounder since he was a senior at Jacksonville (Texas) High School.
Davis, then the coach at Miami-Florida, recruited McCown to be a Hurricane but McCown instead chose Louisiana Tech. Then as a true freshman, McCown had a memorable performance against Davis' Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl, throwing for 418 yards and setting the NCAA freshman record with 72 attempts. Heavily favored Miami hung on to take a 42-31 win.
Davis said. "(When we drafted him) I saw the stat come up on the screen that said he threw for 12,000 yards in college. I thought he got all 12,000 that night in Miami."
It was one of many memorable performances by McCown against BCS conference schools. During his career he led Tech to upset wins over Oklahoma State and Michigan State, while throwing for 433 yards and four touchdowns against Auburn in 2001 in a 48-41 overtime loss, and 406 yards and one touchdown against Penn State in '02.
"This is a young man who played a lot of football at Louisiana Tech," NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. "He played against (some of the top teams in college football) and talent-wise (Tech) was overmatched against the big-time teams, thus McCown was forced to try to do too much."
McCown started 43 consecutive games at Tech and became the NCAA's No. 4 all-time leader in passing yards (12,666) and ninth all-time leader in touchdown passes (87). This past season he threw for 3,246 yards and 19 touchdowns.
"(Playing for Davis) is something that I've thought about since Coach Davis left Miami and went to the Browns," McCown said. "I knew it could be a possibility. I remember talking to him and shaking his hand after the game my true freshman year and that's always been in the back of my mind."
McCown joins a team with three quarterbacks on the roster in starter Jeff Garcia and backups Kelly Holcomb and Tim Couch. However, the Browns have been actively trying to move Couch during the off-season and it is highly likely he will be on another team by the time training camp opens this summer.
Coincidentally, McCown will be the second Louisiana Tech quarterback to learn behind Garcia, who was acquired as a free agent recently. Rattay served in a backup role to Garcia as a second or third-stringer in each of the last four seasons.
"He can make the toughest throw in football for a quarterback and did many times in college," Kiper said. "He needs to get bigger and stronger to handle the punishment of the NFL. He'll have two or three years to develop; he's not expected to contribute immediately."
Scobee, Tech's all-time leading scorer, wasn't sure whether he would get drafted or not, even though he was rated by most scouting services as the No. 2 kicker behind Iowa's Nate Kaeding, a third-round pick by San Diego. He was ecstatic when Jacksonville decided to make a move in the fifth round.
Like McCown, Scobee was a four-year starter, connecting on 66-of-92 career field goals, including six from 50-plus yards.
"The feeling was that this was the second-best kicker in a limited draft and we had a need at the position," said Jacksonville general manager James "Shack" Harris, a former Carroll High School and Grambling State standout at quarterback. "We thought he was the best selection for us. Josh Scobee has a very strong leg. He has a good upsize. I like his toughness."
Scobee connected on 21-of-31 field goals as a senior and also had 40 of 60 kickoffs that were not returned. He joins a Jaguars team that had arguably the NFL's worst kicking situation a year ago.
