April 27, 2008

AUDIO: Hightower Post-Draft Interview

NEW YORK - Richmond senior WR Arman Shields was the 125th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft on Sunday, taken by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round, while senior RB Tim Hightower was selected in the fifth round by the Arizona Cardinals as the 149th overall pick. The pair represents the Spiders' first NFL draftees since 2000.

Shields, who finished as one of the Spiders all-time leading pass catchers, was the Raiders' third draft selection after taking Arkansas RB Darren McFadden in the first round and UConn CB Tyvon Branch earlier in the fourth round.

Hightower was the Cardinals fifth selection in the draft, after taking Tennessee State CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the first round, Miami DE Calais Campbell in the second, LSU WR Early Doucet in the third and Iowa DE Kenny Iwebema in the fourth.

Richmond's last NFL draft pick before this season was 2000 when WR Muneer Moore went in the fifth round to Denver. The last time multiple Spiders were drafted in the same season was 1999 when Marc Megna went to the New York Jets (sixth round) and Eric King went to Kansas City (seventh round).

Former Spider LB Shawn Barber was also a fourth-round selection in 1998 when he was drafted by Washington with the 113th overall pick. He stands as the highest Richmond player drafted since RB Barry Redden went in the first round (14th overall) to the Los Angeles Rams.

Shields reeled in 107 yards in the 2007 opener versus Vanderbilt to peak the interest of NFL scouts, but went down with a knee injury the game following and missed the rest of the season. The Washington, D.C. native finished his career second all-time in catches (160), sixth in yards (1,930) and tied for eighth in touchdowns (13). Including the Vandy game, Shields surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark seven times in his 37-game career.

Hightower put the finishing touches on a remarkable career by finishing sixth in the NCAA in rushing (137.4 yards/game) and breaking 12 Richmond records in 2007. Among the records Hightower etched his name by were the single-season and career rushing marks, the single-season and career scoring records and the single-game rushing record.

All of this vaulted the senior from Waldorf, Md. to four All-America honors (College Sporting News, Associated Press, Walter Camp, Sports Network), a runner-up finish in the Dudley Award voting and the seventh-leading vote-getter for the Walter Payton Award.

Shields and Hightower are the 33rd and 34th Spiders all-time to get drafted.