2002 Undrafted Players

Corey McIntyre: Despite missing out on the draft, McIntyre has made a living as a backup fullback and special teams trooper. He has a simple view on his occupation, as the Buffalo News reports:

“That’s my love and pleasure, right there,” McIntyre said after finishing his first practice with the Bills Wednesday. “I love special teams. That’s where I’ve always earned my money.”

What’s his motivation on kick coverage? Simple, said McIntyre:

“My mentality is I have to feed my kids, so somebody has their food and I have to go get it,” he said. “I see the ball, go get the ball.”

Eight years before he made it to the Bills, McIntyre was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad. The following year, in 2003, he was relocated to NFL Europa's Frankfurt Galaxy. There he helped lead his team to the World Bowl. In the championship game McIntyre had 12 carries for 76 yards. Despite his efforts the Galaxy lost. After returning from Europe, the Eagles released McIntyre before the beginning of the 2004 season.

Shortly after his release in Philadelphia, the Cleveland browns picked him up. In 2004, Cleveland released McIntyre.

During the first weeks of the 2006 season, the New Orleans Saints lost two fullbacks to injury. They signed McIntyre and second fullback to fill the holes. The Saints waived McIntyre in November, before the end of the season, in order to make room on the roster.

A day later, the Atlanta Falcons snapped up the former WVU fullback. McIntyre was kept on the inactive list for the rest of the season but was quickly made special teams captian the following year. In 2008, the Falcons cut him at the end of training camp.

After spending a year with the Bills, McIntyre became an unrestricted free agent after the 2008 season but has already been resigned. It appears that his blocking skills are appreciated up north.

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Antwan Lake: The Detroit Lions signed defensive end Antwan Lake after the draft. He was inactive for all but nine games and totaled only one tackle in his first year. He was waived before the beginning of the 2003 season.

Lake was signed by the Atlanta Falcons in 2003 but did not play that year. Over 2004 and 2005, He served the backup function on a tenacious defensive line. Lake had one of his best years in 2005 when he accumulated total of 16 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and caused a safety. After the 2005 season, Lake had surgery on his shoulder and became an unrestricted free agent.

In 2006, Lake was signed by the Saints. Again, he played a backup role. Lakes best year with the Saints came in 2007 when he totaled 18 tackles and one sack.

In 2008, Lake suffered a groin injury during the first game, which kept him on the sidelines most of the season. He was released by the Saints and became an unrestricted free agent after the 2008 season and has yet to be picked up.

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Rick Sherrod: Saftey Rick Sherrod spent the first two seasons after he graduated bouncing around NFL teams during the offseason. After going undrafted, he was originally picked up by the Buffalo in April 2003 but was quickly released. The same month he was signed by the Saints before being released in August. The following year, before the beginning of the season, was again signed and released from two different teams, this time the Cowboys and the Jaguars.

After bouncing around the NFL, Sherrod joined the Arena Football League's Columbus Destroyers in May 2005. He was waived in January of 2006 and is no longer playing football.

Avon Cobourne

Although Avon Cobourne was one of WVU’s most decorated runners, he was undrafted. He was picked up by the Detroit Lions in 2003 and played seven games that year, rushing 10 times for 27 yards. In 2004, Cobourne was transferred to the NFL Europa Cologne Centurions where he played with fellow Mountaineer Lance Nimmo. In 2005, he signed with the Miami Dolphins but was let go before the season opener.

In 2006, Couburne made a move to Canada by joining the Montreal Alouettes and the CFL. He played as a backup running back for his first two years and gained the starting job in 2008. This past year he ran for 950 yards on 145 attempts, 6.6 yards a carry, and caught passes for 607 more yards. The Alouettes made it to the Grey Cup but lost 22-14 to the Calgary Stampeders. What’s the Grey Cup? The CFL’s Super Bowl and the most watched sports event in Canada. Huh.

Tired of reading? Here's a video.

2003 NFL Draftees

An updated version of this blog post is available at WVUPros.com

Lance Nimmo: Nimmo is a hard guy to find. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round (130th overall) as a tackle. His practice squad career lasted from 2003 to 2005, ending in where it began in Tampa. In between, he also played for the Patriots, Jets, and Browns. But that’s not all, he also played for the Cologne Centurians in the NFL Europa. There are no stats whatsoever for him, even for his time in Europe. At least he got to travel.

James Davis: Drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round (144th overall), Davis played threes years for the team. His top year came 2004 when he recorded 83 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a linebacker starting all 16 games. He also started 16 games in 2005, however his stats were depressed. Davis was released before the beginning of the 2006 season and was subsequently signed by the Giants in early 2007. After playing time during pre-season he was cut again. That’s too bad, he could’ve had a shiny ring if he pulled through.