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Show Friday, April 28, 2006 DAILY HERALD 2006 NFL DRAFT - SATURDAY AND SUNDAY Smith Continued from C1 and was injured the following game. He didn't throw stom. downuntil New Year's Day, poate passing while compl 50.9 “| think a big thing with me is improvement. I'm young,and willing to do whatever it takes to get better.” percent (84-of-165). ra A far cry from the old days, whenhe won 46-0f-48 games starting withhis junior year at Helix Highoutside of San Diego Sieigh a HN SOOO Hf ON all can be blamed on him, as San Francisco had virtually no offensive threats and hardly an offensiveline to speak of. A recent trade with Denver gave the 49ers another first-round pick, 22nd overall, to go with the sixth selection. There’s talk that they’ll add at least one offensive player to augment Smith. While head coach Mike Nolan has repeatedly said in public that he doesn’t need Smith to be a saviorto the franchise, which wonfive Super Bowls thanks to quarterbackslike Joe Montana and BYU graduate Steve Young (whom Smith has gotten to know well, he said), the 49ers fans do expect more during the next five yearsof a top pick whosigned for $49.5 million. Nearly half of that ($24 million) is guaran- teed to him.A lot rides on his development. Smith has appreciated the attention that has come with beinga part of past success. Those laurels are no longer hungon, though, in the Bay Area. The 49ers haven’t won the big onesince 1995, thanks to Young's six touchdownpasses. “The scrutinyis definitely different,” Smith said. “There's obviously good and badto that. Everyone knowswhat kind of moneyI make, and there were 80 photographers at myfirst practice. Pro athletes get stereotyped lot, which can be tough. “| rememberbeing in the AtJanta airport andtwo little kids ran upto me and wanted my autograph. That was definitely new. It used to be I’d be recog- nized aroundSalt Lake City, or other placesif I had Utah stuff on.” Smith has returned to Utah a handful of times. Memorably, he played in Young’s charity golf tournamentwith a handful San Francisco QB Alex Smith On whatpositive attributes he feels he brings to the 49ers of former Cougar quarterbacks. Healso keeps in touch with former coach Urban Meyer, and some of his assistants that followed to Florida. Smith thinks players from Mountain West Conference teams like BYU and Utah “are every bit as capable” of playing in the pros as those from bigger leagues. But thereis one difference: He had no one at Utah to Jean on, who hadreally been in his situation before. “That's where guys who played at schools like Miami or Ohio State have an advantage,” Smith said. “There's a culture there of constantly sending players to the NFL, so maybe sometimes they havea better idea of what to expect before they ever get there.” It's a grind now, too, a season thatcan last at least eight more games. “You play maybe 12 in college, andit’s 20 minimum in the NFL,” he noted. Thatcalculation only includes preseason andthe 16-game regular season.The playoffs appear to be out of range for San Francisco this year, but Smith expects to start. He showed the final two games oflast season whyhe has thatfeeling. Nestled in his Santa Clara, Calif., home, with two new chocolate labradorretrievers, he believes Year 2 will be muchbetter. MWC DRAFT CREDENTIALS MWC's NFL players: 88 BYU v7 14 Colorado State 10 TCU Wyoming UNLV 12-0f-16 passes and threw no weekhe threw his first touchdown,and won the gamein overtime. “I think a big thing with meis improvement,” Smith said. “I'm young, andwilling to do what- everit takes to get better.” if cinnati 2004 NFL Draft (7) MWCdraft results | B 3rd round- Cliff Russell, WR, Washington | B 4th round Edward Ta‘amu, OG, Min- BYU (1) » 7th round - Colby Bockwoldt, OLB, New 2000-2006 Total Players Drafted: 63 nesota 2001 NFL Draft (8) Orleans By Team 16 14 44 | Colorado State (3) ) 6th round- Dexter Wynn, CB,Philadel- 7 | phia Colorado State UNLV 7 New Mexico 5 Wyoming *TCU 2 1 **Air Force 0 * TCU joined the conference for the 2005 season ** Air Force student-athletes mustfulfill a four-year commitmentto the armed forces after graduation BYU (2) 3 7th round - Owen Pochman, K, New England 7th round - Bradlee Van Pelt, QB, Denver D 7th round - Andre Sommersell, LB, Oakland D 7th round - Tevita Ofahengaue, TE, Ari- lego State (1) D Sth round Jeff Shoate, CB, Denver 3 4th round - John Howell, S, Tampa Bay } 6th round - Rick Crowell, OLB, Miami | 7 UNLV (1) » 7th round - Dominic Furio, C, Philadelphia » 6th round - Joe Maese, C, Baltimore Wyoming(1) 7th round- Casey Bramilet, QB, Cincinnati zona Colorado State (2) New Mexico (1) Utah (2) ‘D 2nd round - Andre Dyson, CB, Tennessee » 3rd rqund - Steven Smith, WR, Carolina 2003 NFL Draft (6) By year 2005 NFL Draft (17) | ‘Wyoming (1) BYU (2) 3 6th round - Dustin Rykert, OT, Oakland Sth round- Patrick Chukwurah, OLB, Minnesota BYU (3) » 4th round - Brady Poppinga, LB, Green » 7th round - Spencer Nead, TE, New England 2000 NFL Draft (10) DB 5th round - Scott Young, OG, Philadelphia D 7th round - Shaun Nua, DE, Pittsburgh San State (1) » 5th round - J.R. Tolver, WR, Miami Bay Colorado State (1) BYU(3) D 1st round - Rob Morris, ILB, Indianapolis D 3rd round - Byron Frisch, DE, Tennessee 3 Sth round - Matt Johnson, OG,India- Utah (3) » 1st round - Jordan Gross,OT, Carolina » 6th round- Joel Dreessen, TE, NY Jets napolis » 6th round - Lauvale Sape, DT,Buffalo » ClaudeTerrell, OG, St. Louis D Nick Speegle, OLB, Cleveland San Diego State (3) D 2nd round - Matt McCoy, LB, Philadelphia : B 3rd round - Kirk Morrison, LB, Oakland D 4th round- Marviel Underwood, S, Green Bay more | 2002 NFL Draft (15) | BYU (5) nd round - Ryan Denney,DE, Buffalo » 2nd round- Doug Jolley, TE, Oakiand » 5th round - Brandon Doman, QB, San | Francisco | TCU (1) Colorado State (1) D 5th round - Clark Haggans, DE, Pittsburgh » 7th round - Antwoine Sanders, S,Balti- New Mexico (2) | New Mexico (1) lp 1st round- Brian Urlacher, OLB, Chicago | | San Diego State (3) 5th round - Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, OLB, | Green Bay » 7th round - Brett Keisel, DE, Pittsburgh Luke Staley, RB, Detroit » 7th round - Andrew Kline, OG, St. Louis » 7th round - Mike Malano, C, Minnesota | B 7th round - DB Anthony Alabi, OT, Miami UNLV(2) D Jason Franchuk can be reachedat UNLV (4) 9 2nd round - Anton Palepoi, DE, Seattle 4th round - Sam Brandon, S, Denver » 7th round- Paris Warren, WR, Tampa Bay | 9 6th round - Kevin Thomas, CB, Buffalo | » 7th round - AhmadMiller, DT, Houston » 7th round - Jonathan Fanene, DE, Cinburgh 3 1 BYU Utah San Diego State San Diego State (3) } 2nd round - ChesterPitts, OG, Houston | 9 6th round- Larry Ned, RB, Oakland : 6th round - Mike Houghton, OT, Green D ist round - Alex Smith; QB, San Francisco D 3rd round - Sione Pouha, DT, NY Jets 6th round - Chris Kemoeatu, OG,Pitts- 9 6 6 New Mexico Air Force | England Utah (5) San Diego State Utah In St. Louis, he completed interceptions in a win.The final 3» Sth round - Ryan Claridge, OLB, New As of 4/26/06 New Mexico (1) » Sth round - Adam Seward, ILB, Carolina | Sth round- Jarrod Baxter, FB, Houston Utah (2) D 6th round - John Frank, TE, Philadelphia } 6th round - Mike Anderson, RB, Denver tra.com. TRAVEL THE ROAD TO ADVENTURE WV 0” INTEREST. Final O fab Bea a , y__N y =CN 2006 FORDESCAPEXLT4WD 2006 FORDEXPLORERXLT4WD Startingatjest626,740 Startingfest$20,868 FinalDays0%Financingfor60Menthe Ov$2,089Cast$1,000MatchDown- $2,090TotalBoxn OF |