Tulane's Cannon Selected in NFL Draft
May 1, 2006 | Football
May 1, 2006
NEW ORLEANS - Tulane linebacker Anthony Cannon, who compiled more than 100 tackles in each of his four seasons with the Green Wave, became the eighth Tulane player drafted in the last seven years Sunday when he was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Cannon was the 247th player selected overall and was one of two seventh-round choices by the Lions.
A 6-0, 224-pound linebacker from Stone Mountain, Ga., Cannon ranks fourth on Tulane's all-time tackle chart with 437 career stops and is third all-time in Conference USA history. His 235 solo tackles are fifth all-time at the school while he is second in assisted tackles with 202. In addition, his 29 career tackles for loss are tied for fifth at Tulane. He also collected 9.5 quarterback sacks, forced seven passes and broke up 14 during his Green Wave career.
Cannon was excited about the opportunity and anxious to prove himself at the next level.
"I'm excited about getting up there, playing some football and representing Tulane," Cannon said. "It's a similar situation to when I came to Tulane, [people thought I was] under-sized and unknown, and it turns out I did a pretty good job in my four years here. I know what type of football player I am, my competitiveness and my aggressiveness, and I'm going to bring all that."
Cannon made a trip to Detroit to visit with the coaching staff in early April and felt there was a good chance he would get a chance with the Lions.
"I was going up there either as a draft pick or as a free agent," Cannon said. "I like the situation - a new head coach, a new defensive coordinator, and new coaching staff. I have confidence in myself and confidence in what I learned at Tulane from Coach [Eric] Schumann. He really prepared me so well. The things he taught me at Tulane will make the transition smoother."
"He's got a tremendous desire and he'll always give 100 percent," said Schumann, Tulane's defensive coordinator during each of Cannon's seasons at the school. "He loves the game and plays with a lot of passion and emotion. Every year here, he got better and better. We're going to miss him tremendously, but I'm excited about him getting the opportunity to play at the next level."
Cannon will go to Detroit this weekend for a rookie mini-camp; the four-year starter expects to get an opportunity on special teams, an area in which he excelled at Tulane.
"I'll know more after this weekend, but my ticket in there is special teams," Cannon said. "For any rookie, the way to make a team is special teams. When I was a freshman at Tulane, that's how I first got on the field."
Tulane has had a player drafted in each of the last three years and in seven of the last eight drafts. A year ago, wide receiver Roydell Williams was selected in the fourth round by the Tennessee Titans and made that team as a rookie. Tulane's three selections prior to Williams - J.P. Losman (2004 1st round, Bills), Mewelde Moore (2004 4th round, Vikings) and Patrick Ramsey (2002 1st round, Redskins) - are still active in the league. In Detroit, Cannon will be joining former Green Wave quarterback Shaun King, who was signed by the Lions as a free agent during the offseason.
The 2006 Green Wave recently completed spring drills and will open the 2006 season on Sept. 9 versus Houston in the first of three straight away games. Tulane opens its five-game home schedule in the Louisiana Superdome on Sept. 30 vs. SMU in a nationally-televised (CSTV) game at 8 p.m. (Central). For ticket information, call the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE.
-- Roll Wave --
