Three more headed for NFL tryouts

Quarterback Billy Malone, offensive lineman Joseph Thompson and tight end Kendrick Holloway have all received official invites from NFL clubs to try out to make the league. Malone will try out for the Buffalo Bills in June and perhaps be joining former Tulane teammate J.P. Losman while Thompson and Holloway will head to Cleveland to try and make the Browns roster. On another note, Graham Harell, the brother of ACU backup quarterback Clark Harrell and Texas Tech QB standout will also head to Cleveland for a training camp invite. Good luck to the former Wildcats in their efforts to play on Sundays!

Scott to the Bengals!!!

Bernard Scott was the last pick in the sixth round and headed to Cincinnati Bengals. Bernard was one of the most productive running backs in NCAA history and it is no surprise that the NCAA Division II Player of the Year and Harlon Hill Trophy winner (DII Heisman equivalent) is headed to the NFL. Congratulations to Scott and we'll keep watching for Billy Malone and Joseph Thompson!

Scott will join Kenny Watson, Gary Russell, DeDe Dorsey and last year's starters Chris Perry and Cedric Benson at the running back position. The other five listed running backs for the Bengals were listed off the last active roster on Bengals.com. Check acusports.com for the official release, it's likely Lance will have quotes from each player by the end of the night.

Teammates

Johnny Knox never got a chance to play with Danieal Manning at Abilene Christian University. But perhaps now, in the NFL, with the Chicago Bears selecting Knox in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft Sunday, he'll get that chance with Manning on Sundays. Manning, a second-round selection by the Bears in 2006 and a three-year letterman for the Wildcats, has already played three seasons for Chicago and emerged as the Bears top kickoff return man in mid-season last year. He scored his first NFL touchdown on a Thursday Night Football matchup against the New Orleans Saints on an 83-yard kickoff return to open the game. Knox, a two-year letterman for ACU, will try and bolster a wide receiving corps that hasn't had many star wideouts since Curtis Conway in the late 90's. Knox could be catching passes from the newly acquired Jay Cutler, who was a Pro Bowl quarterback for the Denver Broncos last season.

Stay tuned to see if Bernard Scott, Billy Malone or Joseph Thompson are drafted. If the remaining trio of NFL hopefuls is left out of the draft, likely they will get a shot at an NFL mini-camp or they may sign as preferred free agents following the draft.

Also, Wildcats fans, the ACU softball team will be competing for the LSC title in Abilene. ACU defeated Central Oklahoma to win the south site of the opening round of the tournament; Angelo State won the north site of the tournament and the two teams will meet at Poly Wells Field Friday at 5 p.m. for the first game of a best-of-three series to determine the champion. Click here to see loads of photos from the weekend and see the results of the south site portion of the LSC Softball tournament.

More Notes:
• ACU's men's golf team squeaked into its third-straight Regional Tournament and Mike Campbell and the Wildcats will be headed to Allendale, Mich. May 4-6.
• Keith Null, West Texas A&M's quarterback was selected in the sixth round (196th overall) by the St. Louis Rams marking the second LSC player taken in the draft

Potential big day and small gallery from LSC softball tourney

Lance will probably blog more on this later or at least write a release on acusports.com, but it could be a big day for Abilene Christian and its football program. Although it may take until Sunday, Johhny Knox, Bernard Scott and Billy Malone could be selected in the NFL draft this weekend. The first three rounds of the draft begin at 3 p.m. CST Saturday. Based upon previous projections, Knox the star wide receiver for the Wildcats the past two seasons might have the only chance to be selected today. Rounds four thru seven will take place Sunday where Knox and Scott are expected to be picked. Billy Malone might be drafted but is more likely to earn a preferred free agent contract after the draft. Offensive lineman Joseph Thompson also signed with an agent and hopes to get an invite to an NFL training camp as well.

So, Wildcats if you're not at Poly Wells Field cheering on the ACU softball team the next two days, tune into ESPN and see where some of the top football players to every put on the purple and white are selected in the NFL draft.

Here is a link to a small photo gallery from ACU's 3-0 win over Midwestern State yesterday at the LSC Softball Championship Tournament on ACU's campus.

Gearing up for the LSC Softball Tourney & an amazing highlight from this year's basketball season

Wildcats fans, beginning tomorrow at 4 p.m., ACU and Poly Wells Field will play host to half of the LSC's participants in the LSC Softball Tournament. ACU will play its first game of the four-team double-elimination tournament Friday at 6:30 vs. Midwestern State. Check out the tournament web site by clicking here.

And ... listen to head coach Chantiel Wilson's comments on the upcoming tournament.

One of the more amazing shots I've seen live came Jan. 19, 2009 in Canyon, Texas when ACU's own Dante Adams bounced in a shot from the baseline against West Texas A&M. Adams provided me the video file and I posted it to YouTube. Enjoy it below: