Friday, April 20, 2001
[ NFL ISLANDERS ]
Raiola to rise DOMINIC RAIOLA will have a collection of his closest friends gathered around the television set early tomorrow morning to watch the opening three rounds of the National Football League draft.
early for draft
The heralded Nebraska center
expects to be picked early in
tomorrow's first day, possibly
in the 1st roundBy Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinThe consensus All-America center from the University of Nebraska hopes to be selected long before the show, which will be broadcast on ESPN-TV beginning at 3 a.m. HST, is over.
It's unlikely Raiola, considered by most to be the best center in the draft, will beat Chris Naeole's local mark of being the 10th player selected overall in 1997, but if Raiola is around at the end of the second round, everyone will be shocked.
Raiola is projected to go late in the first round or early in the second.
The Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers have expressed the most interest, but anything is possible once the selection process begins.
The former St. Louis School lineman decided to forgo his senior season with the Cornhuskers, even though many figured him to be the leading candidate for the Outland Trophy, an award given to the nation's top offensive lineman. He was a finalist for the Outland and Lombardi awards last year.
"I feel like I accomplished everything I could in college and coming out early was the right decision for me," said Raiola, who returned to Hawaii earlier this week from Nebraska to be with his family on draft day. "I know in my heart I'm ready to take this next step."
Raiola isn't the only player with local ties who will be selected in the two-day, seven-round draft. University of Hawaii offensive lineman Kynan Forney and Kansas State lineman Mario Fatafehi, who played his high school ball for Farrington, also expect to be selected.
"I've heard I could go as early as the third round, but to be honest, I don't care who takes me or when, just as long as I get a shot to show what I can do," Forney said. "It's not just enough for me to be picked. I plan to stay around awhile. It would be nice if a team from the south picked me, but I'll go anywhere."
Forney believes the success of former UH linemen Kaulana Noa and Adrian Klemm helped pave the way for him. They did well in the 2000 Senior Bowl just as Forney did at this year's college all-star game.
Both were drafted last year. All three say Warriors head coach June Jones and offensive line assistant Mike Cavanaugh were instrumental in their success.
"They bought into what we were trying to get done here," Cavanaugh said. "It's all about performance. Kynan saw what Noa and Klemm accomplished, and decided he wanted to do the same thing. Give all three of those guys credit for working hard and believing in what we wanted to get done here. I'm proud of all of them."
The first three rounds of the draft begin tomorrow with the remaining four set for Sunday.
