University of Oklahoma Athletics

Lehman Now A Lion

Lehman Now A Lion

April 24, 2004 | Football

By: Athletics Communications

The first two Sooner picks of the 2004 National Football League Draft have a distinctively black and blue look, as in the Black and Blue Division.  Linebacker Teddy Lehman was the second-round pick of the Detroit Lions and the No. 37 player selected overall.
 
Lehman joins defensive tackle Tommie Harris, the first-round pick of the Chicago Bears, in the National Football Conference's Central Division.
 
Lehman won the 2003 Butkus Award (top linebacker) and Bednarik Award (top defensive player) and was a consensus All-American after leading Oklahoma's outstanding defense with 117 tackles.

OU in the NFL Draft
 
"Teddy just has phenomenal speed and a great ability to close," said OU head coach Bob Stoops.  "He gets to a lot of plays and makes a lot of tackles.  He also directed our defense with checks and adjustments so he's got a great mind for the game.
 
"Teddy is another guy that I feel very good about.  I just know his quality and work ethic.  I think he'll do very well on the professional level."
 
Lehman is the second OU linebacker to be drafted in the last three years.  Rocky Calmus, also a Butkus Award winner, went to Tennessee in the third round of the 2002 draft.
 
Lehman is the 12th Stoops player to be drafted at Oklahoma and the 13th OU player to be taken by the Detroit Lions.  Others include OL Stocker McDougle (first round, 2000), QB Danny Bradley (seventh round, 1987), RB Billy Sims (first round, 1987), DT Richard Murray (1987, 11th round), RB Steve Owens (first round, 1970), LB Granville Liggins (10th round, 1968), E John Flynn (fifth round, 1965), FB Ron Hartline (fourth round, 1961), E frank Anderson (11th round, 1951), T Stan green (23rd round, 1945), C Max Fischer (23rd round, 1944), T Justin Bowers (11th round, 1940).

"Teddy is a throwback," said Detroit head coach Steve Mariucci.  "He's a football fanatic and a linebacker with a linebacker's mentality.  He'll be in a position to help us on the weakside, maybe in the middle and certainly on special teams."

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