NFL Football Draft: Walker Drafted By Detroit in 3rd Round; Walker Drafted in 6th By Cleveland

David Collins, Athletics Communications Assistant

Walker Drafted by Detroit in 3rd Round

LAFAYETTE – To play in the National Football League is a dream of everyone who picks up a helmet and begins playing football, for Tracy Walker that dream has come true.

With the 82nd pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft the Detroit Lions selected Walker and he becomes the first Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football player to be drafted within the first three rounds of the NFL draft since Bill Bentley was taken 85th overall by the Lions in the third round of the 2011 draft.

A native of Brunswick, Ga., Walker finished his career at Louisiana ranked third all-time in Ragin’ Cajuns history for tackles by a defensive back (276 tackles) and he was a part of two R ? L Carriers New Orleans Bowl teams, including the 2014 Cajuns who won the New Orleans Bowl. He was named Third-Team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2017 and he had a great showing at the 2018 East-West Shrine Game.

The drafting of Walker makes it two straight seasons that the Cajuns have had a player drafted, with Elijah McGuire getting drafted by the New York Jets 188th overall in the sixth round of the 2017 draft. Walker becomes the 37th player from Louisiana to get drafted by the NFL and the third in the past four seasons.

FOLLOWING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS: Follow the Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsFB), Facebook (RaginCajunsFootball) and Instagram (ragincajunsFB) to stay up-to-date with all things Cajuns Football during the remainder of the spring and the summer.

Thomas Drafted in 6th Round by Cleveland

David Collins, Athletics Communications Assistant

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Football has a new name, Defensive Back University, with Simeon Thomas joining his secondary teammate Tracy Walker in the National Football League.

The Cleveland Browns, with the 188th pick in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft took Thomas, making it two defensive backs from Louisiana drafted in this year’s draft. It’s the first time since 2011 that the Cajuns have had two players taken in the same draft, when Bill Bentley (Detroit Lions, third round, 85th overall) and Ladarius Green (San Diego Chargers, fourth round, 110th overall) went in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Hailing from Miami, Fla., Thomas finished his career with 90 total tackles and two interceptions. During his senior season of 2017, Thomas had a team-high 12 pass breakups to lead the secondary. Against ULM on Sept. 23, 2017, Thomas had a career-high 11 stops, nine of which were solo tackles.

Thomas is the 10th defensive back drafted out of Louisiana and the seventh taken since the turn of the century. Thomas becomes the 38th player from Louisiana to get drafted by the NFL and the fourth in the past four seasons.

ALL-TIME LOUISIANA DEFENSIVE BACKS IN THE NFL: All-time the Cajuns have sent 15 defensive backs to the NFL, 10 of which were drafted into the league. It’s the highest number of players from one position that the Cajuns have sent to the NFL making Louisiana truly Defensive Back University.

Chris Cagle (1922-25)
Thomas King (1985-88)
Todd Scott (1987-90)
Orlando Thomas (1991-94)
Brad Franklin (1998-01)
Charles Tillman (1999-02)
Kyries Hebert (1999-01)
Ivan "Ike" Taylor (2001-02)
C.C Brown (2003-04)
Michael Adams (2003-06)
Antwain Spann (2003-04)
Bill Bentley (2008-11)
Melvin White (2009-12)
Tracy Walker (2013-17)
Simeon Thomas (2013-17)

(Bolded Players Drafted)