Four More Cavaliers Picked in NFL Draft

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April 24, 2005

Charlottesville, Va. – Four former Virginia football players heard their named called Sunday in the 2005 NFL Draft. Tailback Alvin Pearman was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the four round (127th pick overall), while defensive end Chris Canty was chosen five picks later by the Dallas Cowboys. Nose tackle Andrew Hoffman went to the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round as the 203rd pick and tight end Patrick Estes was a seventh round selection by the San Francisco 49ers (248th overall).

Virginia had a record seven players chosen in this year’s draft. Previously, UVa had six players picked in 1948, 1997 and 1999.

Pearman, an outstanding all-purpose back, was Virginia’s leading rusher as a senior in 2004 with a career-high 1037 yards. He also led the ACC with 1938 all-purpose yards, the fourth-highest total in ACC history and second in UVa history. He also set Virginia records by a running back with 138 receptions for 1396 yards.

As a junior in 2003 he was the only player ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in rushing (eighth) and receiving (seventh). During his senior season in 2004 he finished with 314 punt return yards, the most by a Cavalier in 14 years.

He is the first Cavalier chosen by the Jaguars since 2002 when TE Chris Luzar was also chosen in the fourth round.

Canty, a dominant player with tremendous size, strength and speed, saw his senior season come to a premature end in the fourth game of 2004 when he suffered a knee injury against Syracuse. He led ACC defensive linemen in tackling as a sophomore and junior and was leading again as a senior when he was injured. He was the only lineman ranked in the top 20 in the conference in tackling in 2002 and 2003, when he earned second-team All-ACC honors both years.

He made 104 tackles as a junior in 2003 to become only the second lineman in school history with at least 100 in a season. He finished his career with 243 tackles, fourth among linemen in UVa history.

Canty is one of three defensive ends taken by the Cowboys in this draft and just the second Cavalier ever taken by Dallas (along with QB Scott Secules in the sixth round in 1988).

Hoffman was outstanding as a nose tackle in Al Groh’s 3-4 defensive alignment at Virginia. A three-year starter at the position, he was adept at clogging the middle of the line. He finished his career seventh in school history in tackles by a nose/defensive tackle with 167. According to Groh, nobody on the defense had any better season than he did during his senior year in 2004 when he earned honorable mention All-ACC honors. Hoffman led UVa’s defensive linemen in tackling with an average of 4.3 tpg (career high) and was third in the conference in tackling by nose/defensive tackles.

Hoffman is the Browns’ first choice from UVa since LB Wali Rainer was a fourth round pick in 1999. The last UVa lineman taken was DE Mike Frederick in the third round in 1995.

Estes served as the primary back-up to All-American Heath Miller, a first round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers, throughout his career. Used primarily as a blocker, he caught six passes for 74 yards as a senior in 2004. He tied the school record for most games by a tight end (47) and caught 28 passes, including five for touchdowns. He joins G Don Parker (4th round, 1966) as the only Virginia players drafted by the 49ers.