Casey, Dillard selected in fifth round; Clement waits

By Yan Digilov     5/14/09 7:00pm

Those familiar with tight end James Casey recognized the congenial, hardworking football player that sat before the Houston press on the afternoon of April 26 at the Houston Texans' facility. But from his description of the previous 24 hours, there was no doubt that a much more fearful and concerned man sat with family glued to the television just moments before.

The concern did not arise from a questioning of his talents; rather, it came from the mistakes of pundits everywhere who believed he would be taken ahead of wide receiver Jarett Dillard.

With the eighth pick in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, 144th overall, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Dillard, who was expecting to be picked somewhere around the fourth or fifth round. Dillard could never have expected to be that first player, ahead of the highly-touted Casey, who some had going as high as the second round. Instead, Casey fell eight spots below Dillard, selected by the team whose home games are only a few miles from the Rice campus.

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But the mere chance to play in the NFL is the culmination of a life's worth of unrelenting hard work from both of these players, and despite the hectic rollercoaster ride, neither one spent too much time focusing on anything other than the future.

"I was expecting third or fourth round and hoping maybe possibly someone would take a shot at me in the second round," Casey said. "But it didn't work out that way. I like to see it, of course, that the Texans got a steal at this pick. ... It's a great opportunity that way and for all those teams that passed on me, it's another thing that motivates me. Stuff that has motivated me my whole life is when people doubt me."

Among the tight ends that were rated below Casey by most scouting reports was Anthony Hill from North Carolina State University, who the Texans picked in the fourth round. His acquisition towards the end of the fourth round made it even more surprising when Casey's phone rang for the 16th pick of the fifth round.

Rice Head Coach David Bailiff said that there are far too many factors involved in the draft process to pinpoint one reason that Casey's stock fell on draft day, but he did say that he suspected his age, 24, may have discouraged some teams. In addition, Casey's dearth of blocking experience for the Owls did not play well into the kind of assignments that tight ends in the league are asked to face.

"We didn't put him in the three-point stance, but every time James has set his mind to doing something, he masters that goal fast," Bailiff said. "I don't think he will have any problems. I think once you get around him, he is a lot like Rice; he has no upper limits."

Sources from the Texans staff said that they were surprised to see Casey on the board that late in the draft and could not pass up that caliber of an athlete.

"If you would've come talk to me when I was 20 years old and in the minor league system with the White Sox and said, 'Hey, maybe in three or four years, you're going to get drafted by the Houston Texans as a tight end,' I would've said, 'You're crazy,'" Casey said."I've had so many things happen to me to be in this situation to come from riding the buses in the minor leagues, having 16-hour bus rides, then going to Rice. Even going to Rice I thought I was treated like a king being able to fly places. Now, coming into the NFL it's just going to be unbelievable."

Casey is not the only Owl who will enjoy the pleasantries of NFL living. After another record breaking All- American season, Dillard was facing a familiar weakness, his lack of height, that has haunted him since he was an lightly-recruited senior from San Antonio.

But despite being undersized, his excellent footwork, route running and overall work ethic had impressed many throughout the combines. He also topped all wide receivers in the vertical and broad jump in the NFL combine.

After several flurries of wide receiver picks in the third and fourth rounds, the current NCAA career touchdown record holder finally got the call from Jacksonville. From there, he said, the process sped up exponentially. He packed his bags and got a flight that would lead him to the future.

"I am getting to know the coaches really well," Dillard said. "I am just getting that foundation of practice. It is a faster game with a faster tempo than college. As long as I get adjusted to that tempo, I should be alright."

Throughout the hectic move, Dillard said that he has yet to really experience the beauty of his new hometown. Before he really gets a chance to hit the beach and take in some sun, he is dedicated to proving himself to the staff and, as always, himself.

"My next goal is to make the roster," he said. "Then, it is to get a starting job. From there, it is to win, to go to the Super Bowl, and to go to a Pro Bowl. Every time one goal is attained, I am going to ask for another one."

While the years of hard work have led to an incredible opportunity to play in the NFL for the two former Rice stars, the draft gods were not as giving to another. Quarterback Chase Clement knew that his chances of getting drafted were small, but he was hoping to at least get a chance in the free agent market.

"I keep waiting on the phone to ring," Bailiff said just days after the draft, "because I really think someone will sign him as a free agent."

But the phone never rang, and Clement, who shares the NCAA record with Dillard for career touchdowns between a quarterback and receiver, may have left the last of his playing days behind him.

Like many prolific college quarterbacks, Clement was given the unfortunate label of "system quarterback".

"I think a lot of what they look at with Chase is that he is six feet tall," Bailiff said. "If you look at your squad rosters, you don't see very many six-foot quarterback in the NFL. But if he gets that opportunity, they will see a guy with a brilliant mind, a brilliant arm and feet that will be a student of the game. I believe he just needs that opportunity."

While each coming day with no phone call brings his career closer to an end, there is an unmistakable legacy that he and the teammates have left on Rice football.

"Now that these guys have achieved that, we are going to have guys on this football team thinking like that," Bailiff said. "They had the opportunity to watch how hard these guys worked, and that is the legacy. I think because of the momentum from last season and the momentum of these draft choices, a lot more young men will think about Rice who are serious about their academics and are serious about football careers in the NFL."

Now, Owl fans will have the privilege to see the newly-signed daftees, along with the graduated seniors, perform in a new chapter of their lives. For Dillard and Casey, that means potential face-offs in the field of competition.

"Yeah, I'll probably be doing some trash-talking when I see [Dillard]," Casey said. "You know - the competitiveness. He's a real competitive guy too, but also we're from Rice so we're going to be on each other's side but when we play each other, of course, he's going to be the opponent."

And for other guys, like offensive line anchor David Berken, who's imposing frame will do little to give him an edge in medical school, that will mean performing off the field with the same kind of character and class that they exhibited on the field of play.

"It is a celebration of those guys," Bailiff said. "They have achieved a goal that they set. You feel like you helped them achieved one of those goals. You have such a special relationship with them. When you see them grow and get better, it is just nice to see that happen for these guys.

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