NFL DRAFT NEWS ‘N’ NOTES

DRAFTEES IN NEW YORK STATE OF MIND:

WILL LUNCH ON THE HUDSON, RING BELL AT STOCK EXCHANGE

For the seven players at New York’s Madison Square Garden, site of the 2003 NFL Draft, it’s a once in a lifetime moment.  Hearing their names called by NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE this Saturday not only ushers in the start of a new career, it fulfills a dream.  And what better way to spend your first weekend as an NFL player than in New York City?

The seven draftees – Penn State DT JIMMY KENNEDY, Marshall QB BYRON LEFTWICH, Kansas State CB TERENCE NEWMAN, Southern California QB CARSON PALMER, Michigan State WR CHARLES ROGERS, Kentucky DT DEWAYNE ROBERTSON and Arizona State DE TERRELL SUGGS – will enjoy several uniquely New York moments as they are welcomed to the NFL.

On Friday afternoon, the group will meet the media at the NFL Draft Luncheon at Chelsea Piers.  On the Hudson River with the Statue of Liberty visible in the distance, the players will take questions from the assembled national media before sitting down to lunch with their families.

The players then move further south to Wall Street, ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange at 4:00 PM ET before unwinding at a reception in Union Square.

It all will be somewhat familiar to Kennedy, who calls New York home.  He attended Roosevelt High School in Yonkers, a mere 17 miles from Madison Square Garden.  He then played college football for Brooklyn native JOE PATERNO at Penn State.

“To be invited to the draft is a dream come true,” says Kennedy.  “I attended the draft with my high school team and I remember the atmosphere, with the fans going crazy.  In college, I played alongside guys like LA VAR ARRINGTON and COURTNEY BROWN and I saw how high they were drafted.  I knew then I had the potential to be successful.”

Added Robertson, “When I received the invitation about coming to New York for the draft, it was an exciting moment.  It helped me realize I really might be one of the top picks.  If I am, I might just pass out.”

DRAFT DAY “MARATHONS”:  Among the spring’s most anticipated sporting attractions, the NFL Draft has been circled on the calendars of fans since the conclusion of the NFL season.  Teams around the league are marking the occasion with numerous fan parties and festivals. 

Four clubs – the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – are holding mini marathons this Saturday as part of draft day events.  The Giants are hosting their first “Draft Day 5K Fun Run,” which will benefit the Giants Foundation and take runners and walkers throughout Giants Stadium and its adjacent racetrack and arena, concluding on the stadium’s 50 yard-line.

The Super Bowl XXXVII-champion Buccaneers might not draft until the end of the second round, but draft day fun starts at 9:00 AM in Tampa with the club’s third annual “Draft Day Dash.”  General Manager RICH MC KAY will be the official starter for the race, which will conclude on the field at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Buccaneers. 

BARBER & LEWIS WORK OUT IN NEW "NFL EQUIPMENT” SPOTS:  New York Giants running back TIKI BARBER and Baltimore Ravens linebacker RAY LEWIS will appear in the latest workout wear in new NFL Equipment spots debuting Saturday on ESPN’s draft telecast.  

Both players will be seen cross-training in the high-tech workout apparel made by Reebok.  Lewis also will appear in NFL Equipment print advertisements that will begin running next month.