Two more drafted

By Clay Horning
The Norman Transcript

April 28, 2008 12:38 am

— Two more Sooners joined Curtis Lofton and Malcolm Kelly in the NFL draft Sunday, while several others will have to take the free-agent route if they hope to be playing professional football next season.
Defensive back Reggie Smith, who played cornerback, safety and special teams at Oklahoma, was taken in the first half of the third round with the 75th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers. Allen Patrick, a running back, narrowly escaped the free-agent moniker when he was chosen late in the seventh and final round, 240th overall, by the Baltimore Ravens.
Patrick came to OU as a defensive back before changing positions early during the 2005 season. He ran for 761 yards his junior season, most of them filling in for an injured Adrian Peterson, and 1,039 as a senior, when he averaged 5.8 yards per carry and scored eight touchdowns.
In the process, he became a sentimental favorite of his college coach.
“I have a lot of respect for Allen Patrick because of the adversity he fought through and a lot of appreciation for what he meant to our program,” Bob Stoops said. “His toughness and attitude set a tremendous example for others on our team to follow.”
Those not taken who might have been drafted include tight end Joe Jon Finley, kicker Garrett Hartley and defensive backs Marcus Walker, Darien Williams and D.J. Wolfe.
Smith, an Edmond North product, chose to enter the draft despite having a year of eligibility remaining at OU. As a junior, he made 78 tackles, including three for losses and picked off three passes. He earned All-Big 12 accolades as a sophomore and junior.
Saturday, Lofton was taken in the second round, 38th overall, by the Atlanta Falcons. Kelly followed 51st overall when he was taken by the Washington Redskins.
Of the four Sooners taken, Patrick was the only one to have exhausted his collegiate eligibility.