April 27, 2003
Safety Colin Branch and fullback Casey Moore were both chosen in today's NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Branch, the Cardinal's starting free safety last season, was taken in the fourth round while Moore, Stanford's starting fullback the past four years, was chosen in the seventh round.
Along with yesterday's selections of Kwame Harris (first round, San Francisco 49ers) and Teyo Johnson (second round, Oakland Raiders), Stanford totaled four players who were chosen in the seven round draft. Others expected to sign free agent contracts include RB Kerry Carter, DT Matt Leonard and OG Greg Schindler.
Branch, from Carlsbad, Calif., burst onto the national spotlight following the 2002 campaign with an impressive workout at the NFL Combine. He continued to impress in individual workouts for NFL teams and saw his draft status improve over the past few months. He was second on the team last year with 69 tackles.
Moore started 44 consecutive games for the Cardinal from 1999-2002. He rushed for 346 yards last year and averaged a team-leading 6.4 yards per carry to go along with 16 receptions for two touchdowns.
Stanford in the 2002 NFL Draft
OT Kwame Harris (1st round, 26th pick, San Francisco 49ers)
WR Teyo Johnson (2nd round, 63rd pick, Oakland Raiders)
S Colin Branch (4th round, 119th pick, Carolina Panthers)
FB Casey Moore (7th round, 247th pick, Carolina Panthers)