NFL DRAFT
Lions grab Dizon in second round
Jordon Dizon planned a leisurely Saturday of golf and making dinner for his girlfriend, then maybe a little studying as he heads into the homestretch toward his economics degree at Colorado.
First the weather changed his plans. It was bad, so a movie instead of golf.
Then, while he was cooking, something a little more momentous occurred: Dizon was picked by the Detroit Lions yesterday in the second round of the NFL Draft.
It shouldn't have been a huge surprise to him, since some analysts had the Colorado linebacker from Waimea High School on Kauai going on the first day.
But Dizon's mother, Darla Higa, said he seemed shocked when he called her yesterday afternoon with the big news.
"He called me and shouted, 'Mom! Can you believe it, second round,' " Higa said in a phone interview from Kauai this afternoon.
"I'm just relieved he has a job. He can go off of my medical plan," Higa said with a laugh.
Dizon was chosen with the 45th overall pick of the draft.
The 6-foot, 225-pound Dizon was a consensus All-American in 2007 and the runner-up for the Butkus Award, which goes each year to the nation's top linebacker. He was credited with 463 tackles in his career as a four-year starter for the Buffs, the eighth-highest total in NCAA history, according to detroitlions.com.
Dizon did not return calls yesterday; his phone's mailbox was full.
Lions president Matt Millen said on the team Web site that Dizon is "a cross between Kurt Gouveia and (Patriots linebacker) Tedy Bruschi." Gouveia starred at Waianae before winning two Super Bowls as a Washington Redskins linebacker.
"This is a guy who has great instincts," Millen said. "He has great field presence. He's very good in space, and has excellent vision. He can play all three (linebacker) positions."
Dizon joins two other Hawaii high school alumni on the Lions, center Dominic Raiola (Saint Louis, Nebraska) and defensive lineman Ikaika Alama-Francis (Kalaheo, Hawaii).
The final five rounds of the seven-round draft will be held today. Several other players with Hawaii ties, including UH quarterback Colt Brennan, will likely be selected.
Another player from Kauai, Kamehameha graduate and Portland State center Brennan Carvalho, might be chosen today.
Carvalho's father, Bernard, played at Kapaa High School and UH and was picked in the seventh round of the 1984 draft by the Miami Dolphins.
"Bernard is the only other KIF player to my knowledge who was drafted (other than Dizon),"said Jon Kobayashi, who was Dizon's coach at Waimea.
Davone Bess (UH receiver), Ryan Grice-Mullins (UH receiver), Jason Rivers (Saint Louis/UH receiver), Brandon Rodd (Aiea/Arizona State offensive lineman) and J.T. Mapu (Kahuku/Tennessee defensive lineman) might also be drafted today.
Several other Warrior players, including defensive tackle Mike Lafaele and offensive lineman Hercules Satele, will likely get free-agent contracts.