While four UCLA football players received calls from NFL teams during last weekend’s draft indicating they were being taken, there were plenty of other Bruins sitting at home and fielding calls for a different reason.
As the draft progressed to the later rounds, players like long snapper Kevin McDermott, tight end Joseph Fauria and others were getting calls from teams letting them know that they might be taken with the teams’ late picks, but if not, they’d be interested in signing the players as undrafted free agents.
An admittedly disappointed Fauria, who expected to be among the 254 players drafted but was not, said that watching the draft all Saturday with his family in Northridge, Calif., was a difficult experience and made for a long day. But Fauria’s wait didn’t last much longer past the draft.
Fauria fielded calls from a few teams, including the Detroit Lions, and after speaking with his family and his agent he decided the Lions were the best fit for him.
“Even if I might have been a little disappointed that I wasn’t drafted, my family and myself were still very, very happy that I got picked up so quickly,” Fauria said.
A 6-foot-7-inch tight end with an NFL pedigree – his uncle Christian Fauria played 13 seasons – and 20 career touchdown catches, Fauria was surprised not to hear his name called. Fauria tied for or held the outright lead in touchdown receptions in all three of his seasons at UCLA after transferring from Notre Dame.
As an undrafted free agent, Fauria will not only be in a battle to get playing time but even just to make the roster.
“I guess I will be able to work my tail off and prove that I should be playing in the NFL, and hopefully become a complete tight end,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being a Lion.”
Fauria wasn’t the only Bruin with the power to choose his NFL home.
Among the Bruins to reportedly sign as undrafted free agents or get tryouts with teams as of Tuesday were McDermott with San Francisco, wide receiver Jerry Johnson with Tampa Bay, fullback David Allen with St. Louis, safety Dalton Hilliard with Chicago and cornerbacks Sheldon Price and Aaron Hester who signed with Indianapolis and Denver, respectively.
Unlike Fauria and the others, McDermott’s battle is for a single roster spot and it’s one currently held by a two-time Pro Bowler, 49ers long snapper Brian Jennings.
“There’s only 32 of us who are employed at any time so it’s a very small fraternity and you look out for each other, but also because there’s so few spots there’s a lot of competition,” said McDermott of being a long snapper.
Jennings is the longest current tenured 49er, having come into the league in 2000 where he played alongside current UCLA special teams coach Jeff Ulbrich. UCLA coach Jim Mora was also the defensive coordinator for the 49ers at the time.
“Obviously, when you’ve been in the league as long as he has, you’ve been doing something right and you’re very good at your skill. I have complete respect for him, but my job is to come in and beat him out,” McDermott said.
The long snapper also credited the UCLA coaching staff for opening doors to him and the rest of the Bruins drafted or signed as free agents. McDermott said the staff’s NFL experience helped play a role in teams trusting their evaluation of the players.
And by the time the three-day NFL Draft rolled around, it wasn’t just the players sitting anxiously by the phones or on the computer. Mora said Saturday following the draft that it was more nerve-wracking watching where his players would end up than when it was his job to evaluate and draft guys as an NFL assistant and head coach.
While being drafted in the later rounds or signed as a free agent does not mean these Bruins are guaranteed to make their respective teams, their coach believes they will experience success whether at the next level or in another endeavor.
“They’ve all worked so hard and deserve what they got and I think many of them will do great things,” Mora said. “The ones that don’t succeed – make it in the NFL – I think they will do great things off the field so it’s just an exciting time.”